CT Image Processing and Medical Rapid Prototyping

In this paper, the three-dimensional (3D) models of body structures from computed tomography (CT) image are reconstructed in SolidWorks by using planar contour method and medical rapid prototyping (MRP) models are performed. This paper reports how to transfer CT image into digital binary matrixes; then, to capture section contour points from medical image per slice, to create B-spline curve with the control points in each layer, to produce 3D solid model construction in SoildWorks environment; finally, to build medical rapid prototyping models by Z corporation printer. This effort is the first to develop image processing 3D visualization in SolidWorks. MRP data from 3D models are created simultaneously. The system performance is tested using truth CT image, and MRP example models of teeth and knee joint were manufactured. The results reveal that the accuracy of 3D reconstruction is acceptable.