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Software for bioprinting
4.2.3 Software for translates medical data to systems. 3D Slicer enables user to perform
CAD medical image informatics, image processing,
and 3D visualization. 3D Slicer is an open-source
A standard method for living tissue modeling
is using medical scans obtained by CT, optical platform for analysis and visualization of medical
microscopy, and MRI, ultrasound (US) 3D to images obtained by CT, MRI, US, microscopy,
create a model based on these images. One of the and nuclear medicine. It can be used for analysis
and visualization of data includes interactive
suitable software for this method is the MIMICS
Innovation Suite (MIS) from Materialize [74] . It is segmentation and volume rendering.
the specialized software working with medical However, making organ blueprints just based
scans in the DICOM file format and designing on CT or MRI data is not a comprehensive
3D models based on the STL file format. Created approach. This approach could be convenient
models could be sliced and exported for 3D for considering the anatomy of an organ in a big
printing or 3D bioprinting. Besides, this software scale. Nevertheless, to avoid errors or to preserve
suite allows users to analyze the anatomy the anatomy of the printed organ as similar to
segments, to make finite elements and other the diseased organ, some small details of the
types of 3D analysis. MIS offers a wide range organ such as alveoli in lung or nephrons in the
of tools for various clinical applications such kidney should be reverse engineered. Besides,
as orthopedic, respiratory, and others. Another the creation of a comprehensive functional organ
software for such tasks is BioCAD by Biomedical is rather crucial than imitation of organ histology
[79]
Modeling Inc. [75] . This software was developed and anatomy . The complex structure of organs
for anatomical 3D printing and CAD models that include nerves and complex vascular systems
for the design of medical devices. It translates makes the task of organ model designing more
medical images obtained by CT and MRI to challenging. According to Dernowsek et al. [79,80] ,
SolidWorks files. BioCAD allows users to work tissue composition and cell redistribution cannot
with mesh and CAD models and to fabricate be absolutely identified yet by clinical bioimaging
models for 3D printing. This software is useful because the technology has not reached the cellular
to create anatomical models such as bones, blood and histological level. Therefore, one of the best
vessels, heart, and some other internal organs. ways to produce organ blueprint using medical
Developing minimally invasive surgical devices data is to combine bioimaging, CAD modeling or
is another purpose for this software usage. There reverse engineering, and mathematical modeling
are other options for this purpose in the form of and simulation [80,81] .
open-source license use such as InVesalius [76,77] , 4.3 Software for slicing
a multilingual cross-platform, and 3D Slicer [78] .
InVesalius is an open-source software tool for There are various software tools for the slicing of
visualization and analysis of medical images that the model, which are commercial and open-source.
works with the DICOM file format. It allows user A commercial software simplify 3D is a software
image segmentation, triangular mesh creation, that provides model setup, slicing and print file
manual or semiautomatic image segmentation, creation, pre-print simulations, customizable
and volume rendering based on initial medical support structures, mesh analysis and repair,
data obtained by scanning. This software is machine control, and monitoring . Simplify 3D
[82]
useful for the reconstruction of a CAD model supports hundreds of different printers, provides
based on medical scanning data obtained by CT easy switching between multiple machines, has
or MRI. InVesalius allows us to import files in the incredibly realistic simulations, identifies issues
DICOM or analyze format, and to export to the in advance, and allows access to industry learning
STL, OBJ, and PLY. Besides, InVesalius provides resources to improve print quality. In Sahai and
a capability of execution in different operating Gogoi , the 3D printer Tarantula 3D was modified
[83]
48 International Journal of Bioprinting (2020)–Volume 6, Issue 3
