3D printing is an additive manufacturing method in which objects are made by fusing or depositing materials—such as plastic, metal, ceramics, powders or liquids—in layers to produce a 3D object. This technology can build a 3D object in almost any shape imaginable as defined in a computer-aided design (CAD) file. Images from Cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computerized tomography (CT) scans, can be converted to digital 3D print files, allowing the creation of complex, customized anatomical and medical structures.
Applications:
- Enhance diagnostic quality
- Preoperative simulation
- Achieve patient’s agreement prior to surgery
- Prepare a template for resection
- As an orienting aid during surgery
- Improve surgical planning