Re: Medical Uses of RP

From: Justin R. Kidder (jrkst34+@pitt.edu)
Date: Fri Oct 04 1996 - 22:22:28 EEST


On Fri, 4 Oct 1996, Ulrich Kliegis wrote:

> > Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 11:09:10 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: "Justin R. Kidder" <jrkst34+@pitt.edu>
> > To: rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi
> > Subject: Re: Medical Uses of RP
>
> > Actually, we are involved in a research project currently that
> > addresses that issue exactly. Custom prosthetic devices and
> > implants are being done by some companies already using RP
> > technologies, but we have found that the process is quite complex,
> > and typically involves multi-user interactions because nothing is
> > "automated" enough yet. This leads to the obvious communication
> > breakdowns that occur in all non-concurrent processes. "Rapid"
> > still means several weeks in most cases. This is the focus of our
> > research.
> >
> Justin, this is valid for most sites, I agree. We here have shown
> that it is possible to make anatomical models in less than 12 hours
> after taking the CTs. What is basically necessary is a common
> understanding of what medicl needs are as opposed to industrial
> needs.
Exactly my point. BTW, I didn't mean to accuse _everyone_, I did
say "most" :). I have seen you web page and I am impressed by the
work that you have done.

> The other important point is that the whole process should be
> supervised by a medically knowledgeable person. Engineers simply did
> not learn enough about anatomy to come up with an anatomically
> correct model. I am afraid to say that that drastically, But if you
> were the patient, would you trust more in a model made by somebody
> (and making it means preferrably processing the CT data set to come
> up with some RP manufacturing data set) who has learned that stuff
> from the base up - or someone, who knows someone who has bee in an OR
> before.
That's our whole point, but with a twist...instead of providing engineers
with a medically knowledgeable person, let's see if we can provide a
medically knowledgable person with the tools he/she needs to design
the model on their own. This obviously involves an expert system of
some kind, design rules, etc. Design automation, design for manufacture,
etc. are all key issues here.

Can you imagine a doc creating a model "in-house"?

Justin
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Justin Kidder, Research Asst. | Automation and Robotics Laboratory
jrkst34+@pitt.edu | University of Pittsburgh
                                
               Home page: http://www.pitt.edu/~jrkst34
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"Give me ambiguity or give me something else."



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