Biomodelling...colour RP...what RP vendors must do

From: Neuro Surgery (NeuroSur@ahsl.co.nz)
Date: Mon Nov 01 1999 - 22:14:48 EET


It has long been said that medical applications of RP, or biomodelling, is
the 'sleeping giant' of RP.

It is interesting to read the discussion from the group regarding what
vendors must do etc. Clearly if the biomodelling giant is to be woken
vendors must be prepared to seriously address the inadequacies of RP as
related to medical applications.

Colour is very important to the surgeon who wants to study the relationships
of bone, blood vessels and pathological tissues. We have long painted our SL
biomodels to highlight these differing tissues with good effect (see
<http://www.qmi.asn.au/anatomics> for good examples). The Stereocol SL resin
from Zeneca has been especially useful as it is FDA approved and allows a
2nd colour to be used. This second colour in transparent SL biomodels can be
extremely useful in assessing internal features such as tumour, teeth or
blood vessels that lie within bone. FDM seemed like a promising technology
but little has been heard of lately.

However, we are a long way from having a credible hospital friendly RP
apparatus and until vendors take this enormous potential market seriously
and inject R&D capital, the giant will continue to snore.

Dr Paul D'Urso MB., BS., PhD.
Email: neurosur@ahsl.co.nz
Phone: +64 9 379 7837
Fax: +64 9 307 4924

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



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