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Fig. 1 | 3D Printing in Medicine

Fig. 1

From: Intracranial vasculature 3D printing: review of techniques and manufacturing processes to inform clinical practice

Fig. 1

Overview of the 3D printing process. (1) Acquire angiographic data using an imaging protocol designed with the intent on 3D printing. (2) Import the imaging to 3D printing software such as Materialise: Mimics/3-Matic, 3D systems: Geomagic, OSIRIX, Toshiba: Vital Images, Autodesk, Freeware: 3D slicer, Sketchup, Blender, and many more. (3) Segment or separate the parts of the anatomy you want to print (intracranial vasculature) from the rest of the anatomy. (4) Export the STL file or segmented 3D model to the CAD program. In this step parts needed for stability must be designed, such as cylinders to hold the vertebral arteries to the skull. Surgical osteotomies maybe planned as shown in pink. (5) Print your model using your choice of print technology and material based on the need for colors, model flexibility, and support material. (6.) Post-process the model, including removal support material as shown in this example

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3D Printing in Medicine

ISSN: 2365-6271

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