METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF A SURGICAL MODEL FOR AN ANATOMICAL FEATURE

• US 20160151976A1
• Filed: 12/01/2014
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cranial Technologies, Inc. (Cranial Technologies Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cranial Technologies, Inc. (Cranial Technologies Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Littlefield, Timothy R
• Granted Patent: US 9,738,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/40937 concerning programming of machining or material parameters, pocket machining
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35143 Reconstruct free form surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30052 Implant; Prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/579 from motion
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/596 from three or more stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a model of an anatomical feature comprises utilizing a stereographic digital image camera at a plurality of different vantage points relative to a reference anatomical feature to capture a plurality of three dimensional digital image pairs of a corresponding plurality of external surface portions of the reference anatomical feature including concavities and convexities of complex anatomical surfaces, and processing the plurality of three dimensional digital image pairs to produce a three dimensional digital surface image of the reference anatomical feature and a corresponding data file. A modified three dimensional digital surface image and corresponding modified data file may be produced by utilizing one or more of selecting a portions of said three dimensional digital surface image, scaling the three dimensional digital surfaced image, and generating a mirror image of the three dimensional digital surface image.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a model of an anatomical feature, comprising:

utilizing a stereographic digital image camera at a plurality of different vantage points relative to a reference anatomical feature to capture a plurality of three dimensional digital image pairs of a corresponding plurality of external surface portions of said reference anatomical feature; and

processing said plurality of three dimensional digital image pairs to produce a three dimensional digital surface image of said reference anatomical feature and a corresponding data file.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

5. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

6. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

modifying said data file to provide a modified data file.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

modifying said data file by one or more of selecting a portion of said three dimensional digital surface image, scaling said three dimensional digital surface image, and forming a mirror image of said three dimensional digital surface image.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

utilizing said modified data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

providing said modified data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

11. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

12. A method in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

13. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising

processing said plurality of said stereographic digital image pairs to produce three dimensional digital image surface portions each corresponding to one of said plurality of external surface portions of said reference anatomical feature;

registering each of said three dimensional digital image surface portions to provide registered three dimensional image surface portions; and

fusing together said registered three dimensional digital image surface portions to generate said three dimensional digital surface image of said anatomical portion and said data file.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

17. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

18. A method in accordance with claim 14, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

19. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

20. A method in accordance with claim 14, comprising:

modifying said data file to provide a modified data file.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, comprising:

modifying said data file by one or more of selecting a portion of said three dimensional digital surface image, scaling said three dimensional digital surface image, and forming a mirror image of said three dimensional digital surface image.

22. A method in accordance with claim 20, comprising:

utilizing said modified data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

23. A method in accordance with claim 20, comprising:

providing said modified data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

24. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

25. A method in accordance with claim 20, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

26. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

27. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein:

said registering step comprises utilizing one or more identified non-deformable and deformable surface portions captured in said three dimensional image surface portions for registration of said three dimensional image portions.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said surgical model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

30. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

31. A method in accordance with claim 27, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

32. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

33. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

said registering step comprises utilizing one or more identified non-deformable and deformable surface portions captured in said three dimensional image surface portions.

34. A method in accordance with claim 33, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

35. A method in accordance with claim 34, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

36. A method in accordance with claim 33, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

37. A method in accordance with claim 33, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

38. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

39. A method in accordance with claim 33, comprising:

modifying said data file to provide a modified data file.

40. A method in accordance with claim 39, comprising:

modifying said data file by one or more of selecting a portion of said three dimensional digital surface image, scaling said three dimensional digital surface image, and forming a mirror image of said three dimensional digital surface image.

41. A method in accordance with claim 40, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

42. A method in accordance with claim 40, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

43. A method in accordance with claim 40, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

44. A method in accordance with claim 40, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

45. A method in accordance with claim 40, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

46. A method in accordance with claim 33, comprising:

cropping each of said plurality of three dimensional image surface portions.

47. A method in accordance with claim 46, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

48. A method in accordance with claim 47, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

49. A method in accordance with claim 46, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

50. A method in accordance with claim 46, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

51. A method in accordance with claim 46, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

52. A method in accordance with claim 14, comprising:

cropping each of said plurality of three dimensional image surface portions.

53. A method in accordance with claim 52, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

54. A method in accordance with claim 50, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

55. A method in accordance with claim 53, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

56. A method in accordance with claim 53, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

57. A method in accordance with claim 53, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

58. A method in accordance with claim 52, wherein:

said registering step comprises utilizing an anatomical shape of said ear and one or more non-deformable and deformable surface portions captured in said three dimensional image.

59. A method in accordance with claim 58, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

60. A method in accordance with claim 59, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

61. A method in accordance with claim 59, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

62. A method in accordance with claim 59, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

63. A method in accordance with claim 59, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

64. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

said registering step comprises utilizing an anatomical shape of said ear and one or more non-deformable and deformable surface portions captured in said three dimensional surface image portions for registration of said three dimensional surface image portions.

65. A method in accordance with claim 64, comprising:

utilizing said data file to manufacture said model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

66. A method in accordance with claim 65, comprising:

providing said data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model.

67. A method in accordance with claim 65, wherein:

said model is a surgical model.

68. A method in accordance with claim 65, comprising:

manufacturing said model from an autoclavable material.

69. A method in accordance with claim 65, wherein:

said anatomical feature is an ear.

70. A surgical model of an ear manufactured by a process comprising the steps of:

utilizing a stereographic digital image camera at a plurality of different vantage points relative to a reference ear to capture a plurality of three dimensional digital image pairs of a corresponding plurality of external surface portions of said reference ear including concavities and convexities of said ear and at least a portion of the external ear canal of said reference ear;

processing said plurality of three dimensional digital image pairs to produce a three dimensional digital surface image of said reference ear comprising said concavities and convexities of said reference ear and said at least a portion of the external ear canal of said reference ear and a corresponding data file; and

utilizing said data file to manufacture said surgical model, said model being one or both of a positive and negative model.

71. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 70, comprising the further step of:

modifying said data file to provide a modified data file by one or more of selecting a portion of said three dimensional digital surface image, scaling said three dimensional digital surface image and forming a mirror image of said three dimensional digital surface image.

72. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 71, comprising the further steps of:

providing said modified data file to a three dimensional printer; and

utilizing said three dimensional printer to manufacture said model from a plastic material.

73. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 72, wherein:

said plastic material is autoclavable.

74. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 73, further comprising the steps of:

processing said plurality of said stereographic digital image pairs to produce three dimensional digital image surface portions each corresponding to one of said plurality of external surface portions of said reference ear;

registering each of said three dimensional digital image surface portions to provide registered three dimensional image surface portions; and

fusing together said registered three dimensional digital image surface portions to generate said three dimensional digital surface image of said anatomical portion and said data file.

75. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 74, wherein:

said registering step comprises utilizing one or more non-deformable and deformable surface portions captured in said three dimensional image surface portions for registration of said three dimensional image portions.

76. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 70, wherein:

said surgical model comprises a plastic material.

77. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 76, wherein:

said plastic material is autoclavable.

78. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 70, further comprising the steps of:

processing said plurality of said stereographic digital image pairs to produce three dimensional digital image surface portions each corresponding to one of said plurality of external surface portions of said reference ear;

registering each of said three dimensional digital image surface portions to provide registered three dimensional image surface portions; and

fusing together said registered three dimensional digital image surface portions to generate said three dimensional digital surface image of said reference ear and said data file.

79. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 78, wherein:

said registering step comprises utilizing one or more non-deformable and deformable surface portions captured in said three dimensional image surface portions for registration of said three dimensional image portions.

80. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 79, wherein:

said surgical model comprises a plastic material.

81. A surgical model of an ear manufactured in accordance with the process of claim 80, wherein:

said plastic material is autoclavable.