Three-Dimensional Printing: Basic Principles and Applications in Medicine and Radiology

Abstract

The advent of three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology has enabled the creation of a tangible and complex 3D object that goes beyond a simple 3D-shaded visualization on a flat monitor. Since the early 2000s, 3DP machines have been used only in hard tissue applications. Recently developed multi-materials for 3DP have been used extensively for a variety of medical applications, such as personalized surgical planning and guidance, customized implants, biomedical research, and preclinical education. In this review article, we discuss the 3D reconstruction process, touching on medical imaging, and various 3DP systems applicable to medicine. In addition, the 3DP medical applications using multi-materials are introduced, as well as our recent results.

Patient-specific three-dimensional printing for pre-surgical planning in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

“…Both segmentation and editing processes are tedious and contribute significantly to the considerable time required for 3D liver model production. 3D model fabrication methods are well defined in existing literature (3,6,9,10,18,21,22,24,25), however there remains a need for efficient, accurate and cost effective automated programs to further streamline the liver model production process, consequently improving feasibility and encouraging the integration of 3D printed liver models within clinical practice (9,12,13,18,(20)(21)(22).…”

“…PolyJet print technology was identified as the most appropriate 3D printing method due to its ability to print highly accurate, multi-material models in a timely manner with little post-processing requirements (4,12). Stratasys' Objet500 Connex3 multi-material printer, available through Objective 3D (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), was selected for 3D printing.…”

“…However, complex anatomical networks and information pertaining to spatial relationships, structural depth, and topological characteristics may not be truly appreciated (2,5,9). Currently, 3D printed models are being used as clinical tools in the endeavour to bridge this gap, enhancing the viewer's cognitive comprehension of anatomy and pathology in areas such as medical education, surgical training, surgical planning and operative simulation (2,3,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). The tactile experience is known to support a holistic evaluation of important anatomical and/or pathological features (10), with the manipulation and visualization of the physical 3D printed models providing the in-depth understanding required to plan accurate, safe, and effective surgical procedures (4,5,13,14,16,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21).…”

Three-Dimensional Printing in Cardiovascular Disease: Verification of Diagnostic Accuracy of 3D Printed Models

“…The sizes and shapes of segmented aneurysms and related arteries in terms of diameters at x, y and z-axis dimensions as well as volume of the aneurysms from both patient's CT and 3D printed model images were analyzed and compared using the Dice coefficient index which allows for more accurate assessment of diagnostic accuracy. Their results showed no significant difference in aneurysm volumes between measurements from CT angiography (mean, 5168±5808 mm 3 , range 138 to 18,691 mm 3 ) and those from 3D printed model data (5271±6279 mm 3 , range 149 to 21,570 mm 3 ) (p=0.56). The percentage differences in volume measurement between patient's CT data and 3D printed model data ranged from 0.05 to 15.4%.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] 3D printed physical models based on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging data show high accuracy in replicating complex anatomic structures of cardiovascular system, ranging from delineation of anatomical details of cardiovascular system to detection of pathologies. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Furthermore, 3D printed realistic models have been shown to play an important role in pre-surgical planning and simulation of complex cardiovascular disease, in both adult and pediatric patients through clear illustration of cardiac pathologies and facilitation of the simulation. [13][14][15][16][17] Before 3D printed models are recommended for routine clinical applications, it is important to ensure the accuracy of 3D printed models.…”