A method in the design and fabrication of exact-fit customized implant based on sectional medical images and rapid prototyping technology

The conventional design process is prior to surgical interventions. The accuracy and efficiency of this method is heavily dependent on experiences and skills of the designer. In order to decrease the dependence on design experience and enhance the participation of surgeons in the design process, we developed a novel method to design and fabricate customized exact-fit medical implant. This method involves several technologies such as three-dimensional geometry modeling based on sectional medical images, triangular mesh defragmentation and rapid (RP) prototyping technology. With the help of a three-dimensional triangular mesh model and RP model, surgeons and engineers could consult conveniently over the design process and modify the design to achieve an exact-fit implant. The result indicates that by using this method the accuracy and efficiency is improved greatly.