How the 3D-printed models were made
In this study, two UC San Diego students, Jason Caffrey, pursuing a Ph.D. in bioengineering, and Lillia Cherkasskiy, pursuing an M.D. and conducting her Independent Studies Project, teamed up with Upasani, bioengineering professor Robert Sah, and their colleagues. They used commercially available software to process CT scans of the patients' pelvis and create a computerized model of bone and growth plate for 3D printing. The models allowed surgeons to practice and visualize the surgery before they operated in the real world.
Ad Statistics
Times Displayed: 22281
Times Visited: 445 Stay up to date with the latest training to fix, troubleshoot, and maintain your critical care devices. GE HealthCare offers multiple training formats to empower teams and expand knowledge, saving you time and money
One of the biggest obstacles was getting the right texture for the 3D prints, so that they mimic bone. If the texture was too thick, the model would melt under the surgeon's tools; if too thin, it would break. The engineers finally settled on a honeycomb-like structure to mimic bones for their models. The printing process itself took four to 10 hours for each print.
The 3D printing effort was led by Caffrey, in the lab of professor Sah at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. The inspiration and foundations for the study came from BENG 1, a hands-on engineering class that Sah, a world leader in tissue engineering and cartilage repair, co-taught in 2015 and Caffrey helped set up. Students 3D printed models of complex ankle bone fractures from CT scans of UC San Diego patients. BENG 1 continues to be a part of the "Experience Engineering" initiative introduced by Albert P. Pisano, dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego.
Back to HCB News
