Re: ACTUA Parts as Medical Models.

From: Robert Thompson (anatomics@qmi.asn.au)
Date: Thu Sep 10 1998 - 08:27:41 EEST


Dear Ariel/Lists,
have a look at one of our web pages http://www.qmi.asn.au/anatomics/teach.html
This has an picture of a biomodel we at Anatomics manufactured using the Actua 2100 at the Queensland Manufacturing Institute.
This biomodel was of the youngest born child we have modelled. I CT scanned the child (who was under light anaesthesia) and built
the biomodel for a local oral & maxillofacial surgeon (who had requested a SLA BioModel).
He preferred the SL model but commented the Actua technology could have clinical utility with improvements in materials.
The detail of the skull base was quite good (even though it was downward facing), but SLA is still superior to date.

Problems in our initial assessment of Actua:

Can only use STL files (YUCK - not ideal for CT data!!)
Material is way too fragile (I know this is improving)
Downward facing surfaces are generally poor
Layer thickness is ridiculously thin for medical biomodels - increasing build times

Positives:

Office Environment
Ease of Use
Cheap
Auto nesting feature

We have also used the Acuta to model faces, cervical spines, ears, and cranial defects for custom cranioplasty manufacture.

As for the child we modelled, the SLA and Actua Biomodels aided in the surgeon coming to the conclusion that the mandibular defect
did not warrant surgery - lucky kid !!!!

Regards

--
Robert Thompson
Biomodelling Engineer
---------------------------------------------------------
Anatomics            Tel. 61 7 3364 0776
QMI                  Fax. 61 7 3364 0786
P.O. Box 4012        Em.  anatomics@qmi.asn.au
Eight Mile Plains    Web  http://www.qmi.asn.au/anatomics
Q 4113 Australia

Anatomics : The BioModelling Specialists ----------------------------------------------------------

Ariel Lijtenstein wrote:

> Dear List, > > I would like to know if there is any ACTUA user that has been building Medical models with the ACTUA machine, skull, bones etc. > Thanks in advance. > > Ariel Lijtenstein. > ROBTEC S.A. > www.robtec.com

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



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