Three-dimensional lithographic model building from volume data sets.

Computed tomographic images of a dry human skull and an in-situ knee joint were used to construct solid three-dimensional polymer models using stereolithographic techniques that have been introduced recently into the manufacturing industry. The stereolithographic technique makes use of a computer-steered narrow laser beam to solidify the model within a bath of liquid photocurable polymer. The method does not suffer from the cutting-tool size and path constraints encountered in the more commonly used process of machining the models from a solid block of foam.