Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 234 Goodman St, Cincinnati, OH, 45219, USA.
Department of Radiology, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
J Digit Imaging. 2022 Jun;35(3):613-622. doi: 10.1007/s10278-022-00614-x. Epub 2022 Mar 2.
Medical 3D printing of anatomical models is being increasingly applied in healthcare facilities. The accuracy of such 3D-printed anatomical models is an important aspect of their overall quality control. The purpose of this research was to test whether the accuracy of a variety of anatomical models 3D printed using Material Extrusion (MEX) lies within a reasonable tolerance level, defined as less than 1-mm dimensional error. Six medical models spanning across anatomical regions (musculoskeletal, neurological, abdominal, cardiovascular) and sizes (model volumes ranging from ~ 4 to 203 cc) were chosen for the primary study. Three measurement landing blocks were strategically designed within each of the six medical models to allow high-resolution caliper measurements. An 8-cc reference cube was printed as the 7th model in the primary study. In the secondary study, the effect of model rotation and scale was assessed using two of the models from the first study. All models were 3D printed using an Ultimaker 3 printer in triplicates. All absolute measurement errors were found to be less than 1 mm with a maximum error of 0.89 mm. The maximum relative error was 2.78%. The average absolute error was 0.26 mm, and the average relative error was 0.71% in the primary study, and the results were similar in the secondary study with an average absolute error of 0.30 mm and an average relative error of 0.60%. The relative errors demonstrated certain patterns in the data, which were explained based on the mechanics of MEX 3D printing. Results indicate that the MEX process, when carefully assessed on a case-by-case basis, could be suitable for the 3D printing of multi-pathological anatomical models for surgical planning if an accuracy level of 1 mm is deemed sufficient for the application.
医学 3D 打印的解剖模型越来越多地应用于医疗保健设施。这些 3D 打印解剖模型的准确性是其整体质量控制的一个重要方面。本研究的目的是测试使用材料挤出（MEX）技术打印的各种解剖模型的准确性是否在合理的公差范围内，即小于 1 毫米的尺寸误差。选择了六个跨越解剖区域（肌肉骨骼、神经、腹部、心血管）和尺寸（模型体积从~4 到 203cc）的医学模型进行主要研究。在每个医学模型中都战略性地设计了三个测量着陆块，以允许进行高分辨率卡尺测量。打印第 7 个模型时，打印了一个 8cc 的参考立方体。在二次研究中，使用第一次研究中的两个模型评估了模型旋转和比例的影响。所有模型均使用 Ultimaker 3 打印机进行三次打印。所有绝对测量误差均小于 1 毫米，最大误差为 0.89 毫米。最大相对误差为 2.78%。在主要研究中，平均绝对误差为 0.26 毫米，平均相对误差为 0.71%，在二次研究中，平均绝对误差为 0.30 毫米，平均相对误差为 0.60%，结果相似。相对误差在数据中显示出一定的模式，这些模式根据 MEX 3D 打印的力学原理进行了解释。结果表明，在逐个案例仔细评估的情况下，如果 1 毫米的精度水平足以满足应用需求，那么 MEX 工艺可能适合用于手术规划的多病理解剖模型的 3D 打印。
