3D printing of multi-material bio-models

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to develop bio-models which are accurate with visual and tactile interface using 3D printing technologies. 3D printing technologies have spread into the medical area to assist physicians in the aspects of pre-operative planning, surgical training and education, design for implantation, development of surgical aid tools and patient education. In this study, an ophthalmic model and common femoral vein valve visual models were designed using Solidworks and built using multi-material Polyjet technology for surgical simulation and devices testing. Meanwhile, a 3D distal tibia model was constructed from Computerized Tomography (CT) scan and duplicated using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) for diagnosis and treatment analysis. The bio-models, an ophthalmic model, common femoral vein valve and distal tibia models were accurately duplicated to mimic human anatomical structure and enhance surgical safety and at the same time reduce costs and surgical times by optimizing the operative procedure. Thus, the bio-models fabricated using 3D printing technologies bring the significance in medical and education environment.