Volumetric Computed Tomography Reconstruction, Rapid Prototyping and 3D Printing of Opossum Head ( Didelphis albiventris )

Abstract

Natural anatomical pieces of wild animals are rare and teachers seek alternatives in satisfactory quantity and quality to inform their students. This article aims to describe the use of multiplanar reconstructions and 3D volume rendering computed tomography (CT) images, rapid prototyping and 3D printing of opossum head to create a biomodel to veterinary education in descriptive anatomy of wild animals. A six-step method study was conducted to construct the biomodel: (1) selection of opossum head from museum; (2) CT scanning of bones structures in veterinary hospital; (3) DICOM visualization medical images in multiplanar reconstructions and 3D volume rendering; (4) .dicom file conversion to .stl; (5) 3D printing of opossum head by rapid prototyping; (6) comparison of 3D model printed with the original anatomical piece. The use of CT images with their different forms of reconstruction can provide a more comprehensive 3D view of opossum craniofacial region and allow a better understanding of head anatomy of this species. The 3D printed biomodel can be a viable alternative to original bone specimens when used in anatomy education. However, further studies must be continued to validate the method in Veterinary Medicine courses.

3D printing of brachycephalic and dolichocephalic canine skulls and mandibles: a complement to traditional osteotechnique

“…In Brazil, synthetic 3D anatomical models and their digital files have already been applied as a complementary technique for studying the morphology of the skeleton health of dogs, horses (REIS et al, 2017) and marsupials (MASSARI et al, 2019). Furthermore, 3D anatomopathological models representing orthopedic conditions have already been used as educational tools applied to the teaching-learning of animal anatomy.…”

El uso de los biomodelos didácticos en las ciencias veterinarias: Una revision.

“…Actualmente, la principal herramienta de estudio macroscópica es por anatomía comparativa, en la cual se investiga la forma y el desarrollo del cuerpo animal a través de la analogía entre diferentes especies (Massari et al, 2019). Un conocimiento sólido sobre la anatomía es fundamental para las diversas áreas de la salud.…”

“…El modelo digital puede procesarse en un sistema informático no solamente para generar imágenes, sino también para realizar cálculos, estudiar sus propiedades conformacionales y estructurales, editarlo o imprimirlo (Nobile, 2016). La creación de nuevas técnicas rápidas para la elaboración de prototipos, el bajo costo de las impresoras 3D, así como la aparición de nuevos softwares, para el análisis de las imágenes, han permitido la creación de modelos de huesos en 3D, cuya aplicación es posible en el campo de la enseñanza de la anatomía en muchas universidades de ciencias animales (Massari et al, 2019). Los modelos resultantes de la creación rápida de prototipos, que reproducen morfológicamente estructuras del cuerpo, han recibido el nombre de biomodelos.…”

Evaluation of the compatibility between corrosion casts and 3D reconstruction of pig head arterial system on cone beam computed tomography

“…The adversities encountered in the corrosion casting technique can be prevented by using three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction models of cross-sectional images obtained using imaging systems (6,11). It is necessary to scan the whole structure by one of the imaging systems (Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, or micro-computed tomography) to obtain two-dimensional (2D) cross-sectional images of the structure, and combine these images by using different programs to create 3D models (6,14,16). Although the general anatomy of the vessels in the porcine head is known, there are no studies in which the techniques of corrosion casting and modeling with 3D reconstruction are applied.…”