Three-dimensional printing of orbital computed tomography scan images for use in ophthalmology teaching

Abstract

Introduction: The use of tridimensional (3D) printing in healthcare has contributed to the development of instruments and implants. The 3D printing has also been used for teaching future professionals. In order to have a good 3D printed piece, it is necessary to have high quality images, such as the ones from Computerized Tomography (CT scan) exam, which shows the anatomy from different cuts and allows for a good image reconstruction.Purpose: To propose a protocol for creating digital files from computerized tomography images to be printed in 3D and used as didactic material in the ophthalmology field, using open-source software, InVesalius®, Blender® and Repetier-Host©.Methods: Two orbit CT scan exam images in the DICOM format were used to create the virtual file to be printed in 3D. To edit the images, the software InVesalius® (Version 3.1.1) was used to delimit and clean the structure of interest, and also to convert to STL format. The software Blender® (Version 2.80) was used to refine the image. The STL image was then sent to the Repetier-Host© (Version 2.1.3) software, which splits the image in layers and generates the instructions to print the piece in the 3D printer using the polymer polylactic acid (PLA). Results:The printed anatomical pieces printed reproduced most structures, both bone and soft structures, satisfactorily. However, there were some problems during printing, such as the loss of small bone structures, that are naturally surrounded by muscles due to the lack of support. Conclusion:Despite the difficulties faced during the production of the pieces, it was also possible to reproduce the anatomical structures adequately, which indicates that this protocol of 3D printing from medical images is viable.

The Segment, Slice, and 3D Print (SS3DP) Workflow of 3D Printing Eye Anatomy for Clinicians: A Proof-of-Concept Study

“…Previous work has focused on 3D printing models of the circle of Willis, the cerebral venous system, and the whole eye, while others have constructed eyes made of glass that were used to teach an ophthalmoscopy [2,3]. Another team constructed eyes from CT images and edited them to highlight critical anatomical structures, which, when 3D printed, proved to be a very accurate representation of the bony and soft anatomy of the orbit but lacked the precision needed to capture fine osteological features of the orbital bones [4]. Nevertheless, despite the lack of limitations, 3D-printed eyes from cadaveric prosections were formally assessed to be of sufficient quality for postgraduate training by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists [5].…”