Meeting: Wednesday 24 May 2006
"Print me a skull to practice on" --
3D Printing for Pre-surgical Planning
Jason Miller and Don McGrath, 3-D Rapid Prototyping, Huntington Beach, CA
Working in a physical space rather than only a digital 3-D or 2-D cross-section view has dramatically improved computer-aided design of mechanical objects (like cell phones and toys), and visualization of scientific data (like molecules and viruses), as our SIGGRAPH chapter saw first-hand in Glen Chancellor's presentation in March of 2005.
The 3-D Rapid Prototyping company, in Huntington Beach, is pioneering the use of 3-D printing for pre-surgical planning, for physician-to-patient communication, and for medical education. They are finding that doing the planning using actual 3-D models improves the fit of implants (such as in knee replacement surgery), significantly reduces the time spent in the operating room (great for both patients and doctors), and (by minimizing the size of incisions) speeds recovery time.
The Zcorp 3-D printing technology used spreads a layer of powdered plaster, prints a slice of the part, spreads another layer of powder and prints another slice of the part, building up the part in thin, precise, layers. The parts are printed with no support pieces having to be removed, important for the accuracy needed for medical use.
Join as we take a look and feel at this emerging technology. Jason Miller and Don McGrath will focus on the pre-surgical planning, including pre-shaping medical implants to fit the bones or other tissue they must fit up against, and technique rehearsal & instrument selection, in which the surgical team practices on a full-size 3-D replica of what they will find inside the patient.
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6:30 - 7:30 PM Social Hour
7:30 - 9:00 Meeting
Admission
Nonmembers $5
Members free
Address, directions and maps:
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2nd floor conference room, |
From Interstate 5, northbound from downtown San Diego, or southbound from Del Mar, take Genessee exit west, fork north (right) on Torrey Pines Rd., then take a left (west) at the first traffic light at "Scripps Clinic South Driveway" into the driveway, and follow yellow SIGGRAPH signs to parking. |
Updated 5/22/06