Three-Dimensional Printing for Procedure Rehearsal/Simulation/Planning in Interventional Radiology
Section snippets
Indications for Seeking a 3D Printed Model
Deciding when a three-dimensional (3D) printed model is beneficial in the clinical setting based on patient outcomes is still being actively investigated. It has been postulated that 3D printed models in the field of vascular surgery and vascular interventional radiology can provide patient education, improve the confidence of physicians for procedures and be useful for procedural planning.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 A previous study on the applications of 3D printing in pediatric cerebrovascular
Procedural Steps for Developing a 3D Printed Model
The general procedure needed to develop a 3D printed model could be simplified into 4 major steps: imaging, segmentation, postprocessing, and printing. Within each of these steps, there are several combinations of segmentation algorithms and postprocessing editing tools that can allow for a 3D printed model to be developed. However, selecting the appropriate methods at each level may expedite the process, and most importantly, provide more accurate results. In this manuscript, we will discuss
Overcoming Technical Challenges
One of the most challenging aspects of creating a 3D reconstruction for vasculature is performing the segmentation process. As discussed previously, having an imaging study with a high degree of contrast differentiation greatly enhances the simplicity and accuracy of the segmentation process. In addition to using a CT with IV contrast, smaller slice thickness allows for higher resolution for the 3D reconstruction, and consequently, a more accurate 3D printed model. These adjustments also allow
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank the Florida International University's Miami Beach Urban Studios for their support in printing the 3D models.
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