Post-processing of DICOM Images

Abstract

Medical three-dimensional (3D) printing of human anatomy and pathology begins with the acquisition of 3D volumetric imaging data wherein the tissues of interest have sufficient contrast/signal intensity to be differentiated (Mitsouras et al. 2015). The process of fabricating a 3D-printed physical model involves a number of steps that can be best described as a medley of medical imaging, image post-processing, and industrial-level manufacturing. Post-processing of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) imaging data is an essential and necessary step to enable the manufacturing of both patient-specific 3D-printed models and medical devices. The requirements of this workflow differ from traditional image post-processing techniques as it requires the generation of a suitable digital file format that is compatible with 3D printers.