Application history of 3D scanning:
solving various tasks in real production facilities
solving various tasks in real production facilities
Reverse engineering, geometry control, non-contact measurements, creation of equipment for scientific experiments, virtual museums, product design and other applications of 3D scanners
Creating a template for cutting the brain using a 3D scanner and a 3D printer
A 3D scanner and a 3D printer helped fulfill an order from the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine by creating a template for cutting the brain.
3D printing and 3D scanning technologies continue to spread in both medicine and veterinary medicine. Our partner in Vienna, 3Dee, has received an order from the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine to create a template for cutting pig brains.
As part of its scientific work, the university studies the brain segments of domestic pigs, for such studies the organ must be very carefully divided. Since the studied "material" is very soft and delicate, special templates for the procedure are used to avoid unnecessary damage. The cost of specialized templates made of aluminum varies from 1,000 to 2,000 euros, and the delivery time of such templates reaches 6 weeks.
Unlike traditional templates, the 3D-printed version is ready for use within 14−16 hours and costs significantly less than the milled versions.
As part of its scientific work, the university studies the brain segments of domestic pigs, for such studies the organ must be very carefully divided. Since the studied "material" is very soft and delicate, special templates for the procedure are used to avoid unnecessary damage. The cost of specialized templates made of aluminum varies from 1,000 to 2,000 euros, and the delivery time of such templates reaches 6 weeks.
Unlike traditional templates, the 3D-printed version is ready for use within 14−16 hours and costs significantly less than the milled versions.
Step 1: 3D Brain Scan
The brain, pre-cooled to 0 °C, was placed on an automatic TS turntable. The surface of the organ is relatively uniform, but it allowed some of the projected light to pass inside. To achieve the best scanning quality, the dual (contrast) backlight function was enabled and a special black substrate was used. The brain was scanned in two 360-degree passes in 20 minutes. After scanning, the results were processed in ScanCenter NG and took 10−15 minutes, and the final model was saved to the STL.
Step 2: Modeling
The resulting 3D model in STL was imported into Autodesk Fusion 360, and a cutting template was modeled on it. The whole process took about 2 hours. The width of the individual segments of the template is 5 mm, the gap between them is 0.6 mm (the thickness of the blade used for cutting is 0.5 mm). The template has been exported to .stl and prepared for 3D printing.
Step 3: 3D Printing
The template model was printed using LFS (SLA) technology on a Formlabs Form 3 3D printer. The printing process took about 10 hours and was printed with a resolution of 0.1mm. Since the template must have certain strength characteristics, the model was printed with full filling and it took 394 ml of material, with a total cost of € 51.87 (Formlabs Gray Resin)
Step 4: Post-processing of the printed model
To ensure the maximum possible service life and durability, the printed template was subjected to temperature (80°C) and ultraviolet (405 nm) treatment in FORM CURE.
The final result:
3D scanner in this project
Metrological optical 3D scanner
Accuracy up to 0.040 mm
Resolution up to 0.040 mm
Accuracy up to 0.040 mm
Resolution up to 0.040 mm