Treviso, July 4, 2023 – An ultra-high-precision system that allows 3D printing to recreate an ultrafaithful copy of a brain with cancer metastases from the patient’s X-rays. It may sound like science fiction, but it is the real evolution in the biomedical field of the expertise of SolidWorld Group, a leader in threedimensional digital technologies, industrial and biomedical 3D printing, and advanced printing services in the aerospace and automotive sectors. The Group’s team of biomedical engineers succeeded in the feat of printing a copy
of a brain with metastasis from the patient’s X-rays in order to study the complexity of the tumor structures This has been of great benefit to surgeons in the preoperative phase, reducing the surgery time, thus limiting costs, and improving
the patient’s recovery. This ultimately increases the possibility of the success of the oncology treatment process.
The model was made by subsidiary Bio3DModel S.r.l.a company specializing in 3D printing for the healthcare sector, within the Barberino Tavarnelle (Florence) technology hub. This is a pilot project carried out at an Italian hospital facility, which may be repeated at the request of other medical institutions.
A major innovation that follows a worldwide trend. Over the next few years, the development of the global biomedical 3D printing market will have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.12%, with acceleration estimated to be worth more than $3.4 billion over the period 2022-2027(1)
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SolidWorld Group Chairperson Roberto Rizzo comments: “This is an extraordinary technology in which 3D technology is able to give real and concrete support to surgical and oncology medicine. The benefits from having an exact replica of a diseased organ are considerable. It in particular provides surgeons with a more effective tool to prepare for surgery, decreasing the margins of error. The biomedical 3D printing sector for Solidworld Group therefore represents a key development axis, which together with the industrial sector, allows us to boost the introduction of advanced technologies in different sectors, with the aim of improving performance and processes, improving results and reducing the time and costs of implementation.”
The 3D model: the details
The three-dimensional digital model of the right hemisphere of the brain of a patient with cancer was obtained after an initial stage of processing the available medical images. The “segmentation”: from the medical images provided by the patient, in this case an MRI scan of the brain, a three-dimensional digital model of the brain itself was made. This first phase of the study was made possible by special digital segmentation software and the know-how of SolidWorld’s biomedical engineers.
Once the digital model was made, 3D printing of the replica of the diseased organ was then carried out.
Through the Stratasys model J750 DAP 3D printer, an exact copy of the diseased organ was made. It is made from photopolymer resins. Very ductile materials and quite similar in texture to the organic matter of which the organ is composed. The different resins are also made in three different colors in order to clearly highlight the different differentiated anatomical elements: the solid neoformation (the tumor) in magenta color, the subcortical edema (abnormal fluid accumulation related to the presence of the tumor) in blue color, with the remaining volume of the brain being transparent.
(1) Source: report “Global 3D Printing Market in Healthcare Industry 2023-2027” edited by Reportlinker.com
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SolidWorld Group S.p.A. is the parent of a group of 11 companies founded in the early 2000s by engineer Roberto Rizzo Listed on the Euronext Growth Milan segment, the Group is a leader in the development and integration of the most advanced and comprehensive 3D digital technologies, both in software and hardware, within manufacturing companies to support and accelerate their transformation towards Industry 4.0. Thanks to SolidWorld, all stages of a product’s production, from manufacturing to sales and recycling, are integrated through technologies that make the production process faster, more sustainable, and efficient. Operating through 14 locations and 3 technological hubs, it boasts over 150 employees and serves more than 8,000 client companies. The SolidWorld Group reported revenues of Euro 57.7 million in 2022, with a value of production of Euro 60.8 million and EBITDA of Euro 4.1 million. Since July 6, 2022, the company has been listed on the Euronext Growth Milan segment of the Italian Stock Exchange (ticker symbol S3D).
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