3D printing from microfocus computed tomography (micro-CT) in human specimens: education and future implications.
Susan C ShelmerdineIan C SimcockJohn Ciaran HutchinsonRosalind AughwaneAndrew MelbourneDaniil I NikitichevJu-Ling OngAlessandro BorghiGarrard ColeEmilia KinghamAlistair D CalderClaudio CapelliAadam AkhtarAndrew C CookSilvia SchievanoAnna DavidSebastian OurselinNeil J SebireOwen John ArthursPublished in: The British journal of radiology (2018)
Microfocus CT (micro-CT) is an imaging method that provides three-dimensional digital data sets with comparable resolution to light microscopy. Although it has traditionally been used for non-destructive testing in engineering, aerospace industries and in preclinical animal studies, new applications are rapidly becoming available in the clinical setting including post-mortem fetal imaging and pathological specimen analysis. Printing three-dimensional models from imaging data sets for educational purposes is well established in the medical literature, but typically using low resolution (0.7 mm voxel size) data acquired from CT or MR examinations. With higher resolution imaging (voxel sizes below 1 micron, <0.001 mm) at micro-CT, smaller structures can be better characterised, and data sets post-processed to create accurate anatomical models for review and handling. In this review, we provide examples of how three-dimensional printing of micro-CT imaged specimens can provide insight into craniofacial surgical applications, developmental cardiac anatomy, placental imaging, archaeological remains and high-resolution bone imaging. We conclude with other potential future usages of this emerging technique.
Keyphrases
- high resolution
- computed tomography
- dual energy
- image quality
- contrast enhanced
- positron emission tomography
- electronic health record
- healthcare
- magnetic resonance imaging
- mass spectrometry
- magnetic resonance
- systematic review
- machine learning
- heart failure
- current status
- stem cells
- tandem mass spectrometry
- mesenchymal stem cells
- quality improvement
- artificial intelligence
- high speed
- bone mineral density