Roberto L Flores1, Hannah Liss2, Samuel Raffaelli2, Aiza Humayun2, Kimberly S Khouri3, Paulo G Coelho4, Lukasz Witek5. 1. Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, New York University School of Medicine New York, NY 10010, USA. 2. DDS Candidate New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA. 3. MD Candidate New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA. 4. Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, New York University School of Medicine New York, NY 10010, USA; Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, College of Dentistry New York University, New York, NY 10010, USA. 5. Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, College of Dentistry New York University, New York, NY 10010, USA. Electronic address: lukasz.witek@nyu.edu.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Currently, surgeons approach autogenous microtia repair by creating a two-dimensional (2D) tracing of the unaffected ear to approximate a three-dimensional (3D) construct, a difficult process. To address these shortcomings, this study introduces the fabrication of patient-specific, sterilizable 3D printed auricular model for autogenous auricular reconstruction. METHODS: A high-resolution 3D digital photograph was captured of the patient's unaffected ear and surrounding anatomic structures. The photographs were exported and uploaded into Amira, for transformation into a digital (.stl) model, which was imported into Blender, an open source software platform for digital modification of data. The unaffected auricle as digitally isolated and inverted to render a model for the contralateral side. The depths of the scapha, triangular fossa, and cymba were deepened to accentuate their contours. Extra relief was added to the helical root to further distinguish this structure. The ear was then digitally deconstructed and separated into its individual auricular components for reconstruction. The completed ear and its individual components were 3D printed using polylactic acid filament and sterilized following manufacturer specifications. RESULTS: The sterilized models were brought to the operating room to be utilized by the surgeon. The models allowed for more accurate anatomic measurements compared to 2D tracings, which reduced the degree of estimation required by surgeons. Approximately 20 g of the PLA filament were utilized for the construction of these models, yielding a total material cost of approximately $1. CONCLUSION: Using the methodology detailed in this report, as well as departmentally available resources (3D digital photography and 3D printing), a sterilizable, patient-specific, and inexpensive 3D auricular model was fabricated to be used intraoperatively. This technique of printing customized-to-patient models for surgeons to use as 'guides' shows great promise.
PURPOSE: Currently, surgeons approach autogenous microtia repair by creating a two-dimensional (2D) tracing of the unaffected ear to approximate a three-dimensional (3D) construct, a difficult process. To address these shortcomings, this study introduces the fabrication of patient-specific, sterilizable 3D printed auricular model for autogenous auricular reconstruction. METHODS: A high-resolution 3D digital photograph was captured of the patient's unaffected ear and surrounding anatomic structures. The photographs were exported and uploaded into Amira, for transformation into a digital (.stl) model, which was imported into Blender, an open source software platform for digital modification of data. The unaffected auricle as digitally isolated and inverted to render a model for the contralateral side. The depths of the scapha, triangular fossa, and cymba were deepened to accentuate their contours. Extra relief was added to the helical root to further distinguish this structure. The ear was then digitally deconstructed and separated into its individual auricular components for reconstruction. The completed ear and its individual components were 3D printed using polylactic acid filament and sterilized following manufacturer specifications. RESULTS: The sterilized models were brought to the operating room to be utilized by the surgeon. The models allowed for more accurate anatomic measurements compared to 2D tracings, which reduced the degree of estimation required by surgeons. Approximately 20 g of the PLA filament were utilized for the construction of these models, yielding a total material cost of approximately $1. CONCLUSION: Using the methodology detailed in this report, as well as departmentally available resources (3D digital photography and 3D printing), a sterilizable, patient-specific, and inexpensive 3D auricular model was fabricated to be used intraoperatively. This technique of printing customized-to-patient models for surgeons to use as 'guides' shows great promise.
Authors: Chen Shen; Lukasz Witek; Roberto L Flores; Nick Tovar; Andrea Torroni; Paulo G Coelho; F Kurtis Kasper; Mark Wong; Simon Young Journal: Tissue Eng Part A Date: 2020-10-01 Impact factor: 3.845
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Authors: Dewy C van der Valk; Casper F T van der Ven; Mark C Blaser; Joshua M Grolman; Pin-Jou Wu; Owen S Fenton; Lang H Lee; Mark W Tibbitt; Jason L Andresen; Jennifer R Wen; Anna H Ha; Fabrizio Buffolo; Alain van Mil; Carlijn V C Bouten; Simon C Body; David J Mooney; Joost P G Sluijter; Masanori Aikawa; Jesper Hjortnaes; Robert Langer; Elena Aikawa Journal: Nanomaterials (Basel) Date: 2018-05-03 Impact factor: 5.076