Dear Advanced Visualization Insider,
If the research presented at ECR 2018 is any indication, the clinical application of 3D printing is expanding rapidly. At the Vienna congress, supporters of the technology made a particularly strong case for its usefulness in surgical planning and simulation.
In back-to-back presentations at the meeting, a team of investigators from Switzerland and another one from Italy discussed the potential of using 3D printing to facilitate left atrial appendage closure. Click here to learn about the different techniques they employed to create 3D-printed models of the left atrium and to what extent measurements from these models aided device selection.
A wide range of other 3D printing news has recently surfaced:
- Hybrid 3D printing, which combines CT scans and MR images, can reduce chest tumor surgery times, according to Spanish research that garnered a cum laude award at ECR 2018.
- Collaborative efforts between a medical 3D printing services company and hospitals across the U.K. continue to grow.
- Clinicians demonstrate how they constructed 3D-printed models of brain vessel abnormalities based on CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography scans.
- Delegates at this year's Arab Health congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, heard about the latest breakthroughs in the field.
Newer to the scene, virtual reality and augmented reality also have emerged as promising visualization technologies in healthcare:
- A group from the U.K. used a virtual reality headset to improve virtual colonoscopy.
- Researchers from Switzerland compared the outcomes of CT-guided versus augmented reality-guided injections in the spine.
- An augmented reality headset allowed surgeons to visualize and manipulate CT scans directly on a patient's leg during surgery.
What will it take to keep advancing the integration of virtual reality into everyday medical practice? Click here to learn what analysts at Signify Research had to say regarding the topic.
Check out these stories and more related news in the AuntMinnieEurope.com Advanced Visualization Community.
