Sandrine Debecker

Functional Respiratory Imaging: Novel Diagnostics for Lung Diseases

During the Mimics Innovation Conference, Dr. Jan De Backer gave an illuminating presentation about diagnosing lung diseases with Functional Respiratory Imaging, or FRI. It’s is a proprietary technology that combines high-resolution CT scans with computer-based flow simulations.

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How a Modular Testbed Helps Medical Device Developers

During the development of new medical devices, as well as in scientific research, it is of the highest importance to test and validate results. At the Bio-Inspired TEchnology research group of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, engineer Awaz Ali has designed and developed a new multi-steerable catheter, with snake-like tip motions and complex curves, for complex cardiac interventions. The ability to create such a device with improved maneuverability inside the highly dynamic environment of the heart could allow more complex cardiac procedures to be performed through a transcatheter approach.

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3D-Printed Cardiovascular Models Support the Development of Smart Catheters

Catheter-based interventions are often the therapy of choice when treating the cardiovascular system of fragile and weak patients. Though often much less invasive than alternative treatments, this technique has its own limitations: it risks dislodging plaque or calcium into the circulatory system as well as potentially damaging, rupturing or penetrating the arterial walls. Also, imaging and the extensive use of contrast agent are not without risk.

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First Systematic Review of Image Segmentation Software for Cardiac 3D-Printed Models

Patients suffering from Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) can benefit from the insights a 3D-printed model is able to provide their clinicians. Tangible models help the medical team to visualize and understand the complex anatomy of the patient’s heart. A first step in the process of creating a patient-specific model is segmenting the medical images. Dr. Nicholas Byrne et al. from Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in the UK examined the range of several cardiovascular segmentation processes and how much time each of these methods takes. The findings of this first systematic review are published in the JRSM Cardiovascular Disease journal.

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How to Set Up a 3D Imaging Lab (part 2)

Dr. Peter Metherall is a registered Clinical Scientist and Chartered Engineer at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. As the leader of the new Sheffield 3D Imaging Lab, he is improving the clinical utility of Advanced Visualization and Quantitative Imaging for routine clinical imaging investigations and research applications. Materialise invited him to present at the Mimics Innovation Conference, and you can take a sneak peek of his work here. This post is the second in a two-part series.

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How to Set Up a 3D Imaging Lab (part 1)

Dr. Peter Metherall is a registered Clinical Scientist and Chartered Engineer at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. As the Scientific Lead of the Sheffield 3D Imaging Lab, he is improving the clinical utility of Advanced Visualization and Quantitative Imaging for routine clinical imaging investigations and research applications. Materialise invited him to present at the Mimics Innovation Conference, and you can take a sneak peek of his work here.

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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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Laying the Groundwork for Industry-Wide Guidelines for 3D Printing Applications in Medicine

May 19th and 20th marked the first definitive meeting between industry leaders to set a common standard for measuring clinical, economical and patient benefits of Medical 3D Printing. An initiative led by Materialise, in partnership with SME, the event on “Building Evidence for 3D Printing Applications in Medicine” was truly a success, and created the building blocks from which the entire 3D Printing industry will benefit.

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A New Method to Evaluate Hip Prostheses: Simulating Gait Cycles

Hip disorders such as cartilage degeneration or bone fractures are common pathologies which are often treated with prosthetic surgery. Andrea Calvo-Echenique from the University of Zaragoza, Spain investigated how to prolong the lifespan of hip prostheses, and assessed the best options by comparing different stems and bearing materials. Her goals were to reduce the wear in bearing surfaces, as well as reducing the loosening of the stem, which tends to be caused by a lack of mechanical load in the bone. She received a Mimics innovation Award for the best poster submission in 2015.

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Stent Struts in Sidewall Cerebral Aneurysm Can Reduce the Flow Velocity Twice

Stent-assisted coil embolization (SACE) is widely accepted for the endovascular treatment of wide-neck or complex cerebral aneurysms. Dr. Kenichi Kono and his team at the Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital of Kanagawa in Japan have assessed and compared the hemodynamic effect of stent struts and straightening of vessels. They tested out the effects of stent placement on reducing flow velocity in sidewall cerebral aneurysms with the goal of reducing recanalization rates. Thanks to this groundbreaking study, Dr. Kono was the Global Mimics Innovation Award winner in 2015.

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