Prasad Rodagi
Founder Director at Altem Technologies Pvt Ltd
A few weeks ago, we received a call from a prominent heart and oncology treatment hospital in Bangalore, India, seeking solutions to the challenges they encounter in complex medical treatments and surgical planning. They were keen on harnessing the advantages of 3D Printing technology in the medical field to enhance their pre-surgical preparations and minimize uncertainties during surgeries.
The pre-surgical preparation largely depends on data obtained from imaging processes such as CT or MRI scans. These scans typically provide 2D visuals represented as slices of organs or tissues at regular intervals. While skilled doctors possess the intellectual capacity to conceptualize the affected areas, there are instances where prior experiences fall short, making it a challenge even for the most seasoned surgeons to visualize and estimate the spatial relationships among intra-cardiac structures.
For instance, in certain cases involving heart defects, the surgical approach hinges on the precise measurement of distances between specific structures. Additionally, doctors may struggle to gauge the depth of malignancies in cancer patients based solely on 2D data or even when using 3D models on a computer screen. This limitation results in surgeons being unable to formulate a surgical plan until they physically access the patient’s heart or affected organ.
However, the introduction of multicolor 3D Printing by Stratasys has revolutionized this field. It empowers surgeons not only to determine the optimal repair strategy but also enables them to rehearse the procedure. This rehearsal process ensures the highest possible success rate once the actual surgery takes place, where time is often of the essence. The ability to meticulously plan and practice surgery is critical for reducing bypass time, minimizing circulatory arrest time, shortening ICU stays, and reducing the need for reoperations.
One challenge posed to us was the 3D printing of CT scan data of a brain affected by a cancerous tumor. The goal was to recreate all the intricacies of the scan, differentiating color, texture, and faithfully replicating the hard and soft tissues. To achieve this, we needed to convert the DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) data from the CT/MRI scans into a 3D CAD model suitable for 3D printing. Specialized medical imaging conversion software like Mimics from Materialise was employed for this purpose.
Video & Blog title sourced from OpHeart
Once the files were converted into the standard. STL or VRML file format for color 3D printing, they were input into the 3D printing software known as Objet Studio. To facilitate ease of handling and enable a comprehensive view of the tumor’s shape and depth for surgical planning, the brain part was divided into four sections.
These sections were then printed on a flexible material called 3D Printing Materials Tango, with the tumor being printed in a different color. This was accomplished using the Stratasys 3D Printers, a pioneer in India’s 3D printing landscape. This remarkable resin 3D printer has the capability to process multiple 3D Printing materials and produce parts with a wide range of color hues and material properties, including varying transparency, flexibility, and color shades, in a single print run, alongside traditional hard and opaque parts.
Following further discussions with the medical team, an additional model was crafted in this resin 3D Printer using transparent 3D Printing materials, allowing for a see-through visual representation. This model garnered significant praise from the doctors as it enabled them to hold an exact replica in their hands, facilitating more efficient surgical planning and execution.
This project was published on June, 2015
