OPTIMIZATION OF RAPID PROTOTYPING TECHNOLOGY FOR ADVANCED MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The application of the two technologies: reverse engineering and rapid prototyping is emerging rapidly in the medical applications. These engineering methods ha- ve especially shown fast advancement in the following applications: in very complex prepa- ration of computer aided surgery, computer guided implantology, non-invasive diagnostic from CT and MRI scans, design of customized implants, maxillofacial surgery, esthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, etc. This research has a multidisciplinary approach; it requires a team work of experts from various scientific fields such as CAD de- sign and virtual engineering, digital image processing, medicine, implantology. Only a very few applicative pioneer steps have been made so far in Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and SE Europe in general. The aim of this research is to make a contribution to the optimization of all three phases: preprocessing, processing and post-processing in the process chain of reverse engi- neering – rapid prototyping in the medical applications. The optimal process of rapid pro- totyping has been defined for different medical input data and formats. The process inclu- des internal 3d reconstruction of CT and MRI scanning in DICOM format, such as applica- tions in orthopedic surgery, maxillofacial surgery, prosthetic dentistry, such as complex or total prosthesis, as well as the external surface reconstruction by 3d scanning, such as est- hetic surgery and reconstruction plastic surgery or dentistry based on 3d scanning from ela- stic silicone impression.