Segmented 3D Anatomical Models with Detachable Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of anatomical features limits the manufacturability of certain anatomical models, leading to inefficiencies in computational resources and potential delays in model creation, which can impact patient diagnosis and treatment.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating segmented three-dimensional models that can be printed in layers, allowing for disassembly and reassembly, by identifying overlapping and non-intersecting portions of layers and incorporating structural data for detachable connectors and support structures, enabling clinicians to demonstrate anatomical features more effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If anatomical models are created with complex anatomical features, then the model detail and clinical utility are improved, but the manufacturability and production time deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The anatomical model is divided into multiple separable layers, each representing different anatomical structures. This segmentation allows complex anatomical features to be manufactured as individual layers that can be assembled together, improving manufacturability while maintaining model detail. The patent applies this by creating layered models that can be produced separately and then joined using connectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces detachable connectors that allow the model layers to be separated and reassembled dynamically. This dynamic feature enables the model to transition between assembled and disassembled states, facilitating easier manufacturing of complex features while maintaining the ability to demonstrate detailed anatomical structures when assembled.
2Manufacturing precision
If anatomical models are created with complex anatomical features, then the model detail and clinical utility are improved, but the production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the anatomical model into layers, each layer can be manufactured independently and in parallel, significantly reducing production time compared to manufacturing a complete complex model as a single piece. The patent implements this by creating separate layers that can be produced simultaneously using additive manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates preliminary design features such as integrated connectors and alignment structures within each layer during the modeling phase. These preliminary actions prepare the layers for easy assembly, reducing the time required for final model construction and enabling faster production of detailed anatomical models.
3Manufacturing precision
If computational resources are used to repeatedly render three-dimensional models, then the model quality is maintained, but computational waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The computational model is segmented into discrete layers with well-defined boundaries and connector interfaces. This segmentation allows the model to be rendered once in a standardized format that can be directly manufactured, eliminating the need for repeated rendering operations while maintaining model quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a master digital model that serves as a template for manufacturing. This single authoritative copy contains all the necessary geometric and structural information, eliminating the need for repeated rendering operations and reducing computational waste while maintaining model quality through consistent reproduction.
4Strength
If anatomical models are created as rigid single-piece structures, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of demonstration and assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The model is segmented into layers connected by structural connectors that maintain overall structural integrity while enabling disassembly. The connectors are designed to preserve the strength and stability of the complete model when assembled, while allowing the model to be separated into individual layers for demonstration purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements detachable connectors that enable the model to dynamically transition between a rigid assembled state for structural integrity and a disassembled state for ease of demonstration. This dynamic capability allows the model to maintain strength when needed while facilitating easy assembly and disassembly for clinical education.
Data Source
AI summary
The described implementations relate to systems, methods, and apparatuses for providing segmented models of objects that have been rendered in three-dimensional space. Furthermore, the segmented models can be automatically assigned connectors for allowing the models to be assembled and disassembled. The models can be generated based on object data generated from scans of an object, such as an anatomical body. A selected area of interest can be selected from the object data, and the object data can be cropped in order to provide a more concise volume from which to generate a model, such as at a 3D printer. The structure characterized by the object data can be processed to determine suitable locations for connectors that can allow the model to be disassembled while also providing an unobstructed view of the selected area of interest.