SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING A BODY PART MODEL USING MULTI-MATERIAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

• US 20140312535A1
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Dikovsky, Daniel, Shtilerman, Stanislav
• Granted Patent: US 9,999,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0019 using three dimensional printing
• 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 2002/30948 using computerized tomography, i.e. CT scans
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30962 using stereolithography
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30985 using three dimensional printing [3DP]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7532 Artificial members, protheses
• 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: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/30 Anatomical models G09B23/281 - G09B23/288 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for physically reconstructing a body part using multi-material additive manufacturing includes receiving image data of the body part in the form of arrays of voxels, each array of voxels representing image data pertaining to cross-section of the body part, translating the image data in the arrays of voxels to printable bitmap images representing combinations of modeling materials for reconstructing the body part, and dispensing the combinations of modeling materials responsive to the bitmap images in a layerwise manner.

Claims

1. A method for physically reconstructing an object using multi-material additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

receiving image data of the object in the form of arrays of voxels, each array of voxels representing image data pertaining to cross-section of the object;

defining a relationship between voxel values in the array of voxels and target physical properties for reconstructing the part;

defining a relationship between combinations of modeling materials and their physical properties; and

defining a relationship between the voxel values and the material combination responsive to the relationship defined between the voxel values and the target physical properties and the relationship defined between the combinations of modeling materials and their physical properties;

translating the image data in the arrays of voxels to printable bitmap images representing combinations of modeling materials for reconstructing the object; and

dispensing the combinations of modeling materials responsive to the bitmap images in a layerwise manner.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relationship is defined by one or more lookup tables.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the combinations of modeling materials are selected to mimic mechanical properties of the object on a per voxel basis.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the image data in the arrays of voxels is translated into an array of digital materials, each digital material formed with a combination of at least two modeling materials, the combination defined by a ratio between the at least two modeling materials and a pattern of modeling material voxels formed with at least two different modeling materials.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein each of the digital materials in the array of digital materials is defined with a pre-defined number of modeling material voxels.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein different digital materials in the array of digital material are defined to have different mechanical properties.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein different digital materials are defined to have different elastic properties.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein the digital material is formed from a liquid or gel volume surrounded by a stiffer material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is received from one or more of a CT scanner, MRI and ultrasound device and wherein the combinations of modeling materials is defined to simulate an array of densities represented by CT numbers obtained from the CT scanner when the image data is received from a CT scanner.

15. The method of claim 1, using one or more additional materials to alter a physical appearance of a portion of the object.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the additional material is applied responsive to user input.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving input from a user; and

adjusting the combinations of the modeling materials for reconstructing the object based on the input from the user.

2. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

19. A system for physically reconstructing an object using multi-material additive manufacturing comprising:

a controller operative to receive image data of the object in the form of arrays of voxels, each array of voxels representing image data pertaining to cross-section of the object;

a processing unit operative to;

define a relationship between voxel values in the array of voxels and target physical properties for reconstructing the object;

define a relationship between combinations of modeling materials and their physical properties;

define a relationship between the voxel values and the material combination responsive to the relationship defined between the voxel values and the target physical properties and the relationship defined between the combinations of modeling materials and their physical properties; and

translate the image data in the arrays of voxels to printable bitmap images representing combinations of modeling materials for reconstructing the object; and

a multi-material additive manufacturing device for dispensing the combinations of modeling materials responsive to the bitmap images in a layerwise manner.

21. The system of claim 19, comprising a memory unit for storing at least one lookup table, database or equation operative to define a relationship between voxel values in the array of voxels and mechanical properties of the object and a relationship between voxel values in the array of voxels and combinations of modeling material that mimic a mechanical property of the object.

29. The system according to claim 19, wherein the processing unit is operative to translate the image data in the arrays of voxels into an array of digital materials, wherein the digital material is defined to have a unit size of sub-millimeter macro voxel.

30. The system according to claim 19, wherein the image data is received from one more imaging devices selected from a group including a CT scanner, MRI and ultrasound device.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the printable bitmap images includes data for adding one or more additional materials to the combinations of modeling materials.

20. (canceled)

22-28. -28. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. A method for physically reconstructing an object using multi-material additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

receiving image data of the object in the form of arrays of image voxels, each array of image voxels representing image data pertaining to cross-section of the object;

defining a relationship between an image voxel and a printing macrovoxel, the printing macrovoxel composed of a plurality of printing voxels including a defined combination of modeling materials;

defining a printable bitmap image for each array of image voxels by translating the array of image voxels, on a per image voxel basis, into the printing macrovoxels based on the relationship defined; and

dispensing the combinations of modeling materials responsive to the printable bitmap image for each array of image voxels in a layerwise manner.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the relationship is defined by one or more lookup tables.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the combinations of modeling materials are selected to mimic mechanical properties of the object on a per image voxel basis.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the printing macrovoxel is formed with a combination of at least two modeling materials, the combination defined by a ratio between the at least two modeling materials and a pattern of the printing voxels of the printing macrovoxel formed with at least two different modeling materials.

37. The method according to claim 33, wherein at least two of the modeling materials differ in their mechanical properties.