title: Stereolithographic reproduction of complex cardiac morphology based on high spatial resolution imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Precise knowledge of cardiac anatomy is mandatory for diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease. Modern imaging techniques allow high resolution three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the heart and great vessels. In this study stereolithography was evaluated for 3D reconstructions of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.
  
  
  METHODS
  A plastinated heart specimen was scanned with MDCT and after segmentation a stereolithographic (STL) model was produced with laser sinter technique. After scanning the STL model with MDCT these data were compared with those of the original specimen after rigid registration using the iterative closest points algorithm (ICP). The two surfaces of the original specimen and STL model were matched and the symmetric mean distance was calculated. Additionally, the heart and great vessels of patients (age range 41 days-21 years) with congenital heart anomalies were imaged with MDCT (n=2) or free breathing steady, state free-precession MRI (n=3). STL models were produced from these datasets and the cardiac segments were analyzed by two independent observers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All cardiac structures of the heart specimen were reconstructed as a STL model within sub-millimeter resolution (mean surface distance 0.27+/-0.76 mm). Cardiac segments of the STL patient models were correctly analyzed by two independent observers compared to the original 3D datasets, echocardiography (n=5), x-ray angiography (n=5), and surgery (n=4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High resolution MDCT or MRI 3D datasets can be accurately reconstructed using laser sinter technique. Teaching, research and preoperative planning may be facilitated in the future using this technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Children's Hospital, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 1, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. gerald.greil@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Greil
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuettner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenchel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martirosian
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oppitz
authors.forename: H-P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Meinzer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sieverding
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D007834:Lasers; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D010780:Photogrammetry; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*