Three-Dimensional Printing and Medical Imaging: A Review of the Methods and Applications

https://doi.org/10.1067/j.cpradiol.2015.07.009Get rights and content

The purpose of this article is to review recent innovations on the process and application of 3-dimensional (3D) printed objects from medical imaging data. Data for 3D printed medical models can be obtained from computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound using the Data Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) software. The data images are processed using segmentation and mesh generation tools and converted to a standard tessellation language (STL) file for printing. 3D printing technologies include stereolithography, selective laser sintering, inkjet, and fused-deposition modeling . 3D printed models have been used for preoperative planning of complex surgeries, the creation of custom prosthesis, and in the education and training of physicians. The application of medical imaging and 3D printers has been successful in providing solutions to many complex medical problems. As technology advances, its applications continue to grow in the future.

Introduction

Also known as additive manufacturing or rapid prototyping, this growing technology is changing the manufacturing industry,1 and its potential is beginning to be discovered in health care. The process consists of creating 3-dimensional (3D) objects through successive deposition of materials in 2D layers. Pioneered by Charles Hull in 1986,2 3D printers were first adopted by automobile and aerospace industry to create prototypes for testing before proceeding with mass production. Today, 3D printers and their products are an approximately 4-billion dollar market.3 In addition to prototyping, it is used to make a variety of finished products, including jewelry, batteries, and medical implants.4 3D printing offers many advantages over traditional manufacturing, which include the ability to create objects with complex internal structures, improved versatility and customization, and less space requirements.5 When combined with medical imaging, 3D printing opens up new opportunities in the advancement of medicine. Clinical applications of this emerging technology are actively being investigated in many fields of medicine. The ability to generate 3D models from patient data allows physicians to create custom prosthetics and implants, visualize complicated pathologies better, and teach trainees like never before.6 This article discusses the key features of 3D printed models created from medical imaging data. It focuses on the steps in creating 3D models from Data Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images and current applications in medicine.

Section snippets

Process of Creating 3D Objects From DICOM Data

The process of generating 3D objects from imaging data generally follows these steps: (1) acquisition of image data, (2) extraction of the chosen region of interest termed “segmentation,” (3) transformation of the data from volumetric to a 3D triangular mesh, and (4) transfer of the data to a 3D printer for production. A typical sequence of this process can be seen in Fig 1. These steps are each discussed in detail in the following sections.

Applications of 3D Printing in Medicine

In recent years, the number of applications of 3D printing technology in medicine has rapidly increased.1 Many hospitals are purchasing in-house 3D printers, as the use of 3D printing in health care is expected to grow in the coming years.1920 What was initially seen as a tool for optimizing presurgical planning in complicated procedures is now being recognized for its potential in clinical training, patient education, creation of custom prosthesis, and more.21, 22 Biotechnology research based

Conclusion

3D printing is a powerful tool when combined with medical imaging. It has already had a significant effect in many fields of medicine. It has been successfully used to create anatomical models to assist complicated surgeries, teach trainees to perform delicate procedures, and create custom prosthetics. As both medical imaging and 3D printer technology continue to advance, new opportunity for their combined use would be discovered.

References (59)

  • R. Sodian et al.

    Pediatric cardiac transplantation: Three-dimensional printing of anatomic models for surgical planning of heart transplantation in patients with univentricular heart

    J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

    (2008)
  • D.C. Brewster et al.

    Guidelines for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Report of a subcommittee of the Joint Council of the American Association for Vascular Surgery and Society for Vascular Surgery

    J Vasc Surg

    (2003)
  • A. Vincent et al.

    Pancreatic cancer

    Lancet

    (2011)
  • Y. Zhang et al.

    Evaluation of three-dimensional printing for laparoscopic partial nephrectomy of renal tumors: a preliminary report

    World J Urol

    (2015)
  • R. Watson

    A low-cost surgical application of additive fabrication

    J Surg Educ

    (2014)
  • Koff W, Gustafson P. 3D Printing and the Future of Manufacturing. CSC Lead Edge Forum [Internet] 2012; Available from:...
  • Hull CW. Apparatus for Production of Threedimensional Objects By Stereolithography...
  • P. Alto

    3D printing market to grow to US$16.2 billion in 2018

    Met Powder Rep

    (2014)
  • E. Malone et al.

    Fab@Home: the personal desktop fabricator kit

    Rapid Prototyp J

    (2007)
  • J.P. Costello et al.

    Incorporating three-dimensional printing into a simulation-based congenital heart disease and critical care training curriculum for resident physicians

    Congenit Heart Dis

    (2015)
  • I. Gibson et al.

    The use of rapid prototyping to assist medical applications

    Rapid Prototyp J

    (2006)
  • F. Rengier et al.

    3D printing based on imaging data: Review of medical applications

    Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg

    (2010)
  • R. Olszewski

    Three-dimensional rapid prototyping models in cranio-maxillofacial surgery: systematic review and new clinical applications

    Proc Belg R Acad Med

    (2013)
  • A. Rosset et al.

    OsiriX: An open-source software for navigating in multidimensional DICOM images

    J Digit Imaging

    (2004)
  • P. Cignoni et al.

    MeshLab: an open-source mesh processing tool

    Eurographics Italian Chapter Conference

    (2008)
  • L.C. Ebert et al.

    Getting in touch-3D printing in Forensic Imaging

    Forensic Sci Int

    (2011)
  • M.D. Tam et al.

    3-D printout of a DICOM file to aid surgical planning in a 6 year old patient with a large scapular osteochondroma complicating congenital diaphyseal aclasia

    J Radiol Case Rep

    (2012)
  • E. Huotilainen et al.

    Inaccuracies in additive manufactured medical skull models caused by the DICOM to STL conversion process

    J Craniomaxillofac Surg

    (2014)
  • R.a. Levy et al.

    Preliminary experience with selective laser sintering models of the human temporal bone

    Am J Neuroradiol

    (1994)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text