Dear Advanced Visualization Insider,
Clinicians continue to seek out new ways to integrate 3D-modeling technology into medicine, and 3D printing continues to be one of the most popular applications.
In a study conducted in the Netherlands, for example, researchers used a combination of 3D virtual models and 3D-printed models of the spine to facilitate the surgical treatment of a complex spinal deformity. Learn about the inner workings of this technique and how it affected patient outcome by clicking here.
A group from London's renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children recently explored the potential of medical 3D printing for surgical planning, training, and education. Rather than use conventional CT or MRI to create their 3D-printed models, the investigators turned to micro-CT. The modality offers over 100 times the image resolution of standard medical imaging and may have various clinical applications, including those discussed here.
The increasing demand for the advanced visualization tools needed to conduct this type of research has been pushing the market further away from the conventional imaging workstation in favor of broader platforms that can integrate diagnostic viewing with image postprocessing and clinical review. Read about other upcoming changes Signify Research says may be awaiting the advanced visualization market by clicking here.
3D models have additionally proved useful for surgical simulation. An interdisciplinary team of experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Medical Image Computing in Bremen, Germany, has designed software capable of producing virtual 3D models based on ultrasound, MRI, or CT scans of the heart. Click here to discover the various ways in which these models may improve minimally invasive heart procedures.
The projection of virtual 3D models directly onto a target has been the focus of researchers at advanced visualization firm R.A.W. They created augmented reality software to display 3D models of CT scans to guide needle insertion for interventional oncology procedures. Find out how it works by clicking here.
Head over to AuntMinnieEurope.com for more related stories and news in the Advanced Visualization Community. And, as always, feel free to reach out with any suggestions for topics you'd like to see covered in the future.
