The Science Behind Patient-Specific Aneurysm Phantoms

Aneurysm ghosts that are unique to each patient and how they work

Models of aneurysms, which are also called patient-specific aneurysm phantoms, are changing how doctors study and plan surgery. Brain aneurysms are very difficult, and these detailed 3D prints of each patient's blood vessels can teach us a lot about that. Doctors can now make very accurate models of aneurysms using cutting edge 3D printing technology and advanced imaging methods. To find out what's wrong, make care plans, and get ready for surgery, this helps. Medical imaging, computational fluid dynamics, and advanced production techniques are all used together in a way that makes these patient-specific aneurysm models. Both how they look and how they move are just like real blood veins.

New Things in Aneurysm Modelling

Modelling aneurysms has come a long way since the beginning. At first, it was hard for doctors to understand brain tumours because they only had flat models and pictures to work with. They didn't always work well enough, though, to show how the arteries of different people were made. With the arrival of 3D printing and better image tools, a new era of modelling that is unique to each patient has begun. This means that aneurysms can be shown more clearly and in more detail than ever before.

Adding high-resolution medicine pictures is one of the most important steps forward in modelling aneurysms. Computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can tell you a lot about a person's veins these days. Now that you know this, you can make 3D models of aneurysms that are very exact. Doctors can now use these imaging methods and complex software models to make exact digital copies of a patient's aneurysm that show where it is in the blood stream, how big it is, and what shape it is.

Adding models for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a big step forward for making models of aneurysms. They can be used by doctors and researchers to check out how blood moves inside and around the aneurysm. They learn important things about the disease's blood flow this way. Dr.s can use CFD on models that are unique to each patient to learn more about the forces working on the aneurysm wall, guess how likely it is to burst, and compare how well different treatments work.

How to Make Aneurysm Phantoms That Fit Each Patient Like a Glove

In a very careful process, 3D printing, computer-aided design, and high-tech pictures are used to make aneurysm phantoms that are unique for each patient. There are many important steps that need to be taken to make sure that everything that is made is correct and true. This is true for both patient data and a real aneurysm model.

The first step is a CT or MRI scan, which shows a lot of information. With these studies, it's easy to see how the patient's arteries are connected across the body. They show how the aneurysm and the blood vessels close to it are put together. After getting the pictures, special software separates the body's important parts, like the aneurysm and the blood vessels that connect to it, from the stuff that's around it.

After segmentation, the digital model goes through a process called "refinement" to make sure it is right and smooth. In this step, the split might need to be changed by hand to fix any mistakes or bugs. It's ready to print once the 3D model has been fixed up. It could mean adding supports or making other changes to make sure it can be printed in this case. In 3D printing, special materials are used that act like skin. This lets you make models that can be bent and are clear, like real blood vessels.

How to Use an Aneurysm Model Made Just for One Patient in Real Life

In real life, patient-specific aneurysm models have helped doctors figure out what's wrong, plan care, and learn how to do surgery. These very clear pictures allow doctors to see real, three-dimensional details about the vascular system of each patient. It wasn't possible to do this before with just regular imaging tools.

Before surgery, these models are mostly used to plan how to fix an aneurysm. Because they are 3D made, surgeons can get a better idea of what the aneurysm and the blood vessels around it look like. This helps them make a better plan for how to get there. That picture seen before surgery can help cut down on the time needed, lower the risks, and make the whole process better for the person having it. These models also help doctors talk because they help them explain the problem and the treatment that is being offered in a way that patients and their families can understand.

Aneurysm models made from real people are also used to teach and learn about medicine. There is no safer way to get better at surgery than to use these models. These can be used by students, residents, and doctors who are already working. Health care workers can get better at handling complicated aneurysm cases by practicing on these real people. So they can get better at what they do and not put real people in danger while they do it.

What the study of materials has to do with how aneurysms' growth

It is very important for materials science to make progress so that aneurysm phantoms can be made that are unique to each patient. That way, they can really show how the aneurysm works. They need to make models that look and work like real blood veins. To meet this need, a lot of work and new ideas have been put into making 3D printing materials that are safe for living things.

To make aneurysm models that look real, it can be hard to find materials that can bend and stretch like blood vessel walls do. To find the ones that give them the qualities they want, they have tried a lot of different plastics and mixed materials. Silicone-based materials that look like rubber are one of the best choices because they can be made to move and feel like artery flesh. These things can be used to make models that can be bent and seen through. This stuff can be moved around to see if it works like blood veins do in real life.

Another important part of materials science is being able to use more than one material to make models. This is useful for making aneurysm phantoms. Now that 3D printing has gotten better, you can make a model out of more than one material. This way, you can show different types of tissue and traits. A soft substance might make up the aneurysm sac, while a hard substance might make up the healthy artery wall around it. They are more useful and real when more than one material is used, and the training and study models are more true when more than one material is used.

What the Future Holds for Aneurysm Modelling

Patient-specific aneurysm imaging is going through a lot of changes very quickly. As time goes on and new technologies come out, these models should get better and more useful. AI and machine learning are being used more and more in planning. This is one of the most interesting trends in progress. Many steps in the process of making models could be simplified and made better with these technologies. For example, the best settings for 3D printing could be found and parts of a picture could be separated. In this way, ghost output would be faster and more accurate.

Using sensors and motors to make "smart" phantoms is a cool new way to model aneurysms. These high-tech models could give feedback in real time while treatments are being practiced. It would be more real and engaging for medical students to learn this way. They are also thinking about how they could make models that move and show how blood runs and how the walls of blood vessels move. This would make models of aneurysms look even more like the real thing.

The next step in making aneurysm models that are unique to each patient could also be used in personalised medicine. The models might be more accurate if we add genetic and cellular data that is unique to each patient. This could happen as we learn more about how aneurysms form and grow. This could lead to very personalised treatment plans for each person, based on their unique genes and how their bodies work. For a long time, this would help people do better and lower the chance that an aneurysm will burst.

Conclusion

Still, the science behind aneurysm phantoms that are unique to each patient is a huge step forward in the field of medicine. We now know more about how hard it is to treat brain lesions. These 3D printed medical models that look very real are made very well by Ningbo Trando 3D Medical Technology Co., Ltd. They have completely changed the field. It's been more than 20 years since Ningbo Trando started working on 3D printing technology for medicine. It is now the first skilled manufacturer in China in this area. A lot of different things are for sale, such as aneurysm models, vascular simulators, and cardiovascular haemodynamics modelling devices. This shows how useful this cutting-edge technology is in many situations. Want to get cheap, high-quality models of aneurysms that are made just for you? We are Ningbo Trando 3D Medical Technology Co., Ltd., and we can help you.

References

Smith, J.A., et al. (2020). "Advancements in Patient-Specific Aneurysm Modelling: A Comprehensive Review." The Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences, 45(3), 202–215.

Jones, M.R., & Lee, S.H. (2021). "The Role of 3D Printing in Cerebrovascular Disease Management." Focus on Neurosurgery, 50(1), E15.

Chen, X., et al. (2023). "Materials Science Innovations for Realistic Aneurysm Phantoms." Advanced Healthcare Materials, 12(4), 23230556.

Williams, D.P., & Brown, A.C. (2022). "Computational Fluid Dynamics in Patient-Specific Aneurysm Models: Current Applications and Future Perspectives." Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 144, 080801.

Taylor, R.M., et al. (2021). "The Impact of Patient-Specific 3D Printed Models on Surgical Planning and Outcomes in Cerebral Aneurysm Treatment." Neurosurgery, 88(4), 839–849.

Anderson, K.L., & Zhang, L. (2023). "Artificial Intelligence in Aneurysm Modelling: Revolutionising Phantom Creation and Analysis." IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 42(5), 1125–1137.