Pioneering Medical Organization Reveals its Best Practices for the Advanced Digital Workflows Used in Creating Customized Implants and Surgical Guides at Advanced Digital Technologies Conference
MORRISVILLE, N.C. January 22, 2013 – Geomagic®, a global company providing 3D technology for digital reality, has announced that its customer CARTIS (Centre for Applied Reconstructive Technologies in Surgery), of Cardiff, Wales, will present its best practices for the production of custom medical devices using digital technologies and additive manufacturing fabrication methods. This presentation will take place at the upcoming Advanced Digital Technologies North America Regional Leadership Group Conference, to be held in La Jolla/San Diego, California, January 25-26, 2013.
CARTIS is a unique partnership that combines the medical and technical expertise of the Maxillofacial Unit at Morriston Hospital and the National Centre for Product Design + Development Research (PDR) at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Through collaborative research and clinical application, the Centre has pioneered the effective application of advanced design and manufacturing technologies in reconstructive surgery and prosthetic rehabilitation.
Mr. Sean Peel, a Ph.D. candidate and medical applications research technician at Cardiff Metropolitan University and its Patient-Specific Medical Design Knowledge Transfer Center, will present three case studies that detail the use of disparate digital technologies to efficiently merge design expertise with clinical requirements. These cases have yielded a cranioplasty implant, an orbital-temporal implant, and a zygomatic osteotomy positioning jig/drilling guide. In creating these implants and guides, designers used the Geomagic® Freeform® 3D modeling system to perform digital anatomical reconstruction, implant form design and final implant detailing. These pieces were ultimately produced using additive manufacturing processes that included electron beam melting, selective laser melting and stereolithography.
“The advances made possible by using the right software in the digital workflow are astonishing. Geomagic Freeform has become the centerpiece of our process because it lets us sculpt our devices accurately and aesthetically, and it provides the digital output formats needed for advanced additive fabrication methods,” said Dr. Dominic Eggbeer, Research Officer at Cardiff Metropolitan University and member of CARTIS.
After fabrication each of the three designs were used or implanted successfully. In each case design and surgical time was significantly reduced, and, importantly, no modifications of the designs were required in-theater. In terms of quality, the design process was on par with, or better than, traditional lab methods, the main benefits being a significant increase in fit accuracy and fewer surprises in the operating room.
“The best practices presented by CARTIS at this event provide a reminder that 3D software truly has the power to change lives,” said Joan Lockhart, VP of Marketing, Geomagic. “We applaud the work of organizations such as CARTIS for showing that 3D scanning, digital design and new additive fabrication technologies can be used in transformative ways for the betterment of humanity. I’m proud our solutions play a part in this life-changing work.”
About Geomagic
Geomagic (www.geomagic.com) is a global company dedicated to advancing and applying 3D technology for the benefit of humanity. Geomagic’s scanning and design software solutions are used to capture and model 3D content from physical objects, organically sculpt complex shapes, and prepare products for manufacturing. In addition, the company produces powerful 3D metrology and inspection software that verifies dimensional quality by comparing as-built products to master designs. Geomagic’s Sensable Phantom haptic devices simulate the sense of touch in a digital environment.
Geomagic’s software and hardware are utilized by world-class customers in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer products, toys, collectibles, coindesign, jewelry, fine art, heritage restoration, research, education, mold making, entertainment, training and surgical simulation. In fact, some of the world’s leading companies and research organizationsuse Geomagic software, including Ford, BMW,Boeing, Harley Davidson, Timberland, Mattel/Fisher Price, Lego, Pratt & Whitney, NASA, Schneider Electronic, 3M, Danaher and Invisalign. Geomagic is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, with an office in Boston, subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, and channel partners worldwide.
###
Geomagic, Geomagic Studio, Geomagic Qualify, Geomagic Qualify Probe, Geomagic Spark, Wrap, Geomagic Wrap, Phantom, OpenHaptics, Omni, Freeform, Claytools, Sensable and Sensable Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of Geomagic Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.