All articles Manufacturing Medical Software

A Toddler’s 3D-Printed Heart Model Helps Her Mother Understand the Struggle of Her Child

Marta Sambaer
September 07, 2016
A Toddler’s 3D-Printed Heart Model Helps Her Mother Understand the Struggle of Her Child

It is a sad day indeed when the happy tidings of a newborn baby are followed by the diagnosis of a serious congenital heart disease. Stephanie Starks had to face this situation 2,5 years ago after giving birth to her third daughter, Jemma. Although the disease was not recognized at first, little Jemma underwent two open-heart surgeries in the following 10 days and started treatment which she would need to continue for the rest of her life. Less than three years later, Jemma is now preparing for her fourth serious surgery.

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Award-Nominated Research on Shoulder Implants with X-rays

Sjoerd Kolk
August 26, 2016
Award-Nominated Research on Shoulder Implants with X-rays

The shoulder is a truly extraordinary joint, as it allows a full 180-degree range of vertical and horizontal motion. Unfortunately, the downside of this flexibility is that the more a joint can do, the more that can go wrong. The shoulder joint can wear out due to age, infection or trauma, leading to pain and a loss of function. When it comes to researching solutions to these problems, the shoulder surgeons at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) and the researchers at the Foundation for Orthopaedic Research & Education (FORE) in Tampa, Florida, lead the way as one of the most reputable shoulder research collaborations in the world.

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What Effect Does Eating Have on the Mechanics of the Jaw?

Fareena Aljunid
August 18, 2016
What Effect Does Eating Have on the Mechanics of the Jaw?

At the University of Queensland in Australia, Dr. Olga Panagiotopoulou has been researching the effects of feeding on the mechanics of the primate jaw. The ultimate goal of her research is to determine the relationship between the form and function of the mandible during mastication, and thereby improve the accuracy of anatomical models and jaw implants.

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3D-Printed Custom Implant Helps Patient with Ossifying Fibroma

Stephanie Benoit
August 08, 2016
3D-Printed Custom Implant Helps Patient with Ossifying Fibroma

Making the world a better and healthier place was certainly the goal Materialise had in mind when they decided to donate a grant to the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) at Central University of Technology, Free State in South Africa. The grant allowed the CRPM to help some patients with life-changing interventions, and to introduce students to the benefits of using 3D printing in the medical field. One of the patients helped by the CRPM was a young woman of 32. She suffered from an ossifying fibroma tumor in her lower jaw. The surgical team decided it was necessary to immediately resect the tumor and place a custom-made laser-sintered titanium implant in the patient’s mouth.

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Correcting a Malaligned Tibia with Medical 3D Technology

Yien Rong Yong, Stephanie Benoit
July 28, 2016
Correcting a Malaligned Tibia with Medical 3D Technology

30-year-old Partiban from Malaysia was an avid futsal player until he started noticing pain in his left knee throughout one year. The pain worsened until he had difficulties squatting and running; it eventually caused him to stop playing futsal. The patient was referred to Prof. Dr. Azhar M. Merican, who deduced that the underlying cause for the pain was a deformity of the patient’s left upper tibia. The deformity was due to the malunion of a fracture sustained in a motor vehicle accident when the patient was 14 years old. At the time, the fracture had been treated with a plaster cast.

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DJO Optimizes Hip Implant With Image-Based Population Analysis

Sebastian De Boodt
July 18, 2016
DJO Optimizes Hip Implant With Image-Based Population Analysis

American surgical device company DJO was having challenges prior to the launch of their new implant, the TaperFill™ Hip Stem, a shorter femur stem designed to be inserted through a direct anterior approach hereby sparing the critical posterior soft tissue. The design of the implant proved to be very tricky as it needed to fit closely in the cortical bone to ensure stability. As there was not much room for error, it was difficult to create a design that fit a maximum amount of patients, since every anatomy differs slightly from person to person. DJO optimized the hip with the help of image-based population analysis.

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Shark Fossil 3D Reconstruction Reveals Breakthrough Jaw Evolution Insights

Sandrine Debecker
July 14, 2016
Shark Fossil 3D Reconstruction Reveals Breakthrough Jaw Evolution Insights

A new study led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History shows that living sharks are actually quite advanced in evolutionary terms, despite having retained their basic “sharkiness” over millions of years. This new study is based on an extremely well-preserved shark fossil named Ozarcus mapesae and a 3D reconstruction of it. The research was published in the journal Nature.

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Materialise Mimics Innovation Awards | Acknowledging Excellence in ‘Engineering on Anatomy at ESB in Lyon'

Dr. Zahra Asgharpour
July 08, 2016
Materialise Mimics Innovation Awards | Acknowledging Excellence in ‘Engineering on Anatomy at ESB in Lyon'

Since 2005, Materialise has put the spotlight on researchers and their groundbreaking work. This is done every year through the Mimics Innovation Awards. The competition recognizes the industry’s most original and important achievements within Medical 3D printing. Learn more about the Mimics Innovation Awards 2015 winners.

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Could 3D Printing Provide an Alternative to Plaster Casts?

Stephanie Benoit
July 08, 2016
Could 3D Printing Provide an Alternative to Plaster Casts?

Anyone who has ever had a broken arm, sprained ankle or anything that requires wearing a cast undoubtedly remembers how uncomfortable it was. Sure, it was fun to get everyone’s signature on your arm or leg, but that didn’t make up for the itchiness, the rash and the difficulties involved when taking a shower. A bright team of engineers at Michigan Technological University thought there had to be a better solution, and came up with a lightweight, porous, 3D-printed alternative instead.

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Two-Year-Old's VSD Heart Patched Up with the Help of Medical 3D-Printing

Liesbeth Kemel
July 07, 2016
Two-Year-Old's VSD Heart Patched Up with the Help of Medical 3D-Printing

Two-year old British Mina Khan was born with a complex hole between her ventricles (VSD). This life-threatening congenital defect exhausted her. Pumping blood around the hole took up all her energy, leaving her breathless, unable to eat or put on weight — even her hair wouldn’t grow. Doctors feared the hole was too big to repair, especially in the tiny, delicate heart of a toddler. Even for experienced pediatric surgeons, this would be a very risky operation.

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