Rapid prototyping technology in medicine - basics and applications

Using medical models built with Rapid Prototyping (RP) technologies represents a new approach for surgical planning and simulation. These techniques allow one to reproduce anatomical objects as 3D physical models, which give the surgeon a realistic impression of complex structures before a surgical intervention. The shift from the visual to the visual-tactile representation of anatomical objects introduces a new kind of interaction called 'touch to comprehend'. As can be seen, from the presented case studies of maxillo-cranio-facial surgery, the RP models are very well suited for use in the diagnosis and the precise preoperative simulation of skeleton modifying interventions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.