PROCESS TO DESIGN AND FABRICATE A CUSTOM-FIT IMPLANT

• US 20110016690A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Malaya (Government of Malaysia)
• Original Assignee: University of Malaya (Government of Malaysia)
• Inventors: Selvanathan, Senthil K, Selvanathan, Nanchappan, Sankupellay, Mangalam, Narainasamy, Selvanathan, Nagappan, Somasundaram, Devadass, Victor S., Seperamaniam, Thyaganathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/428
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2875 Skull or cranium A61F2/2803 and A61F2/3099 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30942 for designing or making customized prostheses, e.g. using templates, CT or NMR scans, finite-element analysis or CAD-CAM techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/002 Designing or making customized prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45168 Bone prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45204 Die, mould making
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49008 Making 3-D object with model in computer memory
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49013 Deposit layers, cured by scanning laser, stereo lithography SLA, prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30052 Implant; Prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A process for designing and fabricating a custom-fit implant, comprising: a) processing medical image data of a patient'"'"'s pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area having a symmetrical part to construct a three-dimensional (3D) digital model; b) forming a mirror image of the left or right side of the three-dimensional (3D) digital model based on its axis of symmetry depending on which side the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area is; c) overlying the mirror image on the original image to form a composite image with a non-overlapping area wherein the implant will be fitted; d) generating a digital implant by cutting off the non-overlapping area of the mirror image; e) designing mounting points between the digital implant and the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area where the implant is mounted thereon; f) building a positive and a negative moulds based on the digital implant to fabricate a custom-fit implant.

Claims

1. A process for designing and fabricating a custom-fit implant, comprising:

a) processing medical image data of a patient'"'"'s pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area having a symmetrical part to construct a three-dimensional (3D) digital model;

b) forming a mirror image of the left or right side of the three-dimensional (3D) digital model based on its axis of symmetry depending on which side the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area is;

c) overlying the mirror image on the original image to form a composite image with a non-overlapping area wherein the implant will be fitted;

d) generating a digital implant by cutting off the non-overlapping area of the mirror image;

e) designing mounting points between the digital implant and the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area where the implant is mounted thereon; and

f) building a positive and a negative mould based on the digital implant to fabricate a custom-fit implant.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 further comprising fabricating a physical model and an intermediate physical implant from the three-dimensional (3D) digital model to ensure that the intermediate implant closely fits the anatomically deformed area on the physical model.

3. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the physical model is fabricated by rapid prototyping process with stereolithography (STL) format.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medical image data is a computer tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional (3D) digital model is constructed by computer-aided design (CAD) software.

6. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the custom-fit implant is fabricated by stamping the moulds with the titanium mesh.

7. A process for designing and fabricating a custom-fit implant, comprising:

a) processing medical image data of a patient'"'"'s pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area to construct a three-dimensional (3D) digital model;

b) creating a patch representing the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area of the digital model, wherein the patch is designed according to suitable data obtained from the digital model or from a reference digital model of another patient;

c) customizing the patch into a digital implant;

d) designing mounting points between the digital implant and the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area where the implant is mounted thereon; and

e) building a positive and a negative mould based on the digital implant to fabricate a custom-tit implant.

8. A process as claimed in claim 7 further comprising fabricating a physical model and an intermediate physical implant from the three-dimensional (3D) digital model to ensure that the intermediate implant closely fits the anatomically deformed area on the physical model.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the physical model is fabricated by rapid prototyping process with stereolithography (STL) format.

10. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the medical image data is a computer tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

11. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the three-dimensional (3D) digital model is constructed by computer-aided design (CAD) software.

12. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the custom-fit implant is fabricated by stamping the moulds with the titanium mesh.

13. A process for designing and fabricating a custom-fit implant, comprising:

a) processing medical image data of a patient'"'"'s pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area to construct a three-dimensional (3D) digital model;

b) converting the digital model into a point cloud;

c) filling up the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area on the digital model to form new cloud points;

d) reverting the new cloud points back into a digital implant;

e) designing mounting points between the digital implant and the pathologically defective or anatomically deformed area where the implant is mounted thereon; and

f) building a positive and a negative mould based on the digital implant to fabricate a custom-fit implant.

14. A process as claimed in claim 13 further comprising fabricating a physical model and an intermediate physical implant from the three-dimensional (3D) digital model to ensure that the intermediate implant closely fits the anatomically deformed area on the physical model.

15. A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the physical model is fabricated by rapid prototyping process with stereolithography (STL) format.

16. A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the medical image data is a computer tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

17. A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional (3D) digital model is constructed by computer-aided design (CAD) software.

18. A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the custom-fit implant is fabricated by stamping the moulds with the titanium mesh.