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A Real World Data Registry for Medical 3D Printing https://ift.tt/34hsNXb Clinical data registries can be a powerful tool to assess and improve patient care quality in real-time and address some of the issues surrounding treatments available and how different patients respond to them. Today more than ever, every piece of information is valuable to someone, and clinical data registries can fuel ongoing research and development, inform patients and their health care professionals on the best course of treatment, and improve care for patients in the future. This year, the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) announced they will launch a new medical 3D printing clinical data registry to collect point of care 3D printing data to prove its worth to the radiology community.
According to RSNA, the registry data will enable essential analyses to demonstrate the clinical value of 3D printing, which has been challenging to date because of the rich diversity of clinical indications, the different technologies for generating physical models from medical images and the complexity of the models. RSNA is very involved in advancing the technology within the medical field. Their core belief is that even though 3D printing for patient care crosses all subspecialties of medicine, radiology is always at the intersection, playing an important role in developing medical applications for this technology. The registry is a project of the SIG initiative which intends to help promote 3D printing for medical applications via education, research and collaborations, as well as provide physicians and allied health scientists with optimized education and research programs. SIG specialists also assist in developing quality standards for 3D printing. To complement the effort, a joint ACR-RSNA committee will govern the registry which will be released in the fall of 2019 and will allow both organizations to analyze clinical decision making and demonstrate the importance of medical 3D printing to the radiology field. VIDEO This announcement follows the recently approved codes by the American Medical Association (AMA) for the use of 3D printing to create anatomic models and anatomic guides. With the benefits of 3D printing in medicine becoming ever more valuable, having access to models based on patients CT and PET imaging makes preparing for medical procedures so much easier and cost-effective. Since July, four new Category III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes have been released. CPT is the technical name for the medical code set that is used to report medical, surgical, and diagnostic procedures and services to physicians, health insurance companies and accreditation organizations. Medical coding is a major factor in obtaining insurance reimbursement as well as maintaining patient records, allowing the insurance payer to know the illness or injury of the patient and the method of treatment.
The 3D printing registry will be hosted by the ACR’s National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) system, which is a leading platform for clinical quality registries in imaging. NRDR currently houses six registries with more than 6,500 participant sites and over 150 million cumulative cases. Formlabs, HP, Materialise and Stratasys will provide critical financial support in the form of unrestricted grants for the initiative, which is focusing on channeling and simplifying the amount of information available today. For anyone interested in participating, the details will be posted to the NRDR website as they become available.
As the field of customized medicine advances, the utility of real-world data to support the development of improved therapies is becoming increasingly evident. There is an unmet need to render Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images as 3D printed models capable of providing both tactile feedback and tangible depth information about anatomic and pathologic states. This new venture will most likely provide the necessary feedback for the medical community and their patients. Data collection and post-analysis can encourage and improve the overall quality of patient care. After all, we are all potential patients and should be interested in ways to improve healthcare. [Images: RSNA, Materialise and Phoenix Children’s Hospital] Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 3, 2019 at 02:12AM
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The Tiertime X5 Giveaway Contest https://ift.tt/2ZK5eqq Tiertime is announcing a contest to win an X5 3D printer, the manufacturer’s most advanced system to date and a finalist for the TCT Hardware Award in the field of Polymer Systems. Interested parties are encouraged to send an email or fill out a short questionnaire on Tiertime’s website, explaining how they would use an X5. Entries will be accepted from Sept. 1, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2019, and a winner will be selected no later than Oct. 21, 2019. “We knew a reliable, continuous 3D printing system could serve certain industries particularly well,” says Joseph Guo, International Sales and Marketing Director, Tiertime Corporation. “This contest should help us discover other types of users who can benefit from the X5’s unique strengths.” Judging will be based on two criteria: 1. Benefit – How will the X5’s continuous 3D printing improve your workflow and/or productivity? 2. Viability – Are the X5’s features well-suited to fulfill your goals? The winning contestant will receive their X5 shipped from the nearest Tiertime warehouse, free of charge. A fully enclosed 3D printer with a print bed vault, the X5 is capable of performing a series of print jobs stored in its queue and automatically replacing the print bed each time a job is completed. It expels the finished print job and its bed from the side of the machine, allowing the next print job to begin on a fresh bed after automatic calibration.
The X5 is the apex of everything Tiertime has developed over the years, amplified by automated abilities found in no other 3D printer. It comes with multiple print heads – one for high temp materials such as ABS, one for low temp like PLA, and one for flexible. Its large touchscreen allows programming to be updated within the printer’s hardware, affording customers the opportunity to take advantage of future upgrades in printer-to-printer communications and interoperability. It includes the most powerful version yet of Tiertime’s lauded dual air filtration, recycling the build chamber’s air to remove harmful pollutants without reducing temperature. X5 Key Features:
Considering the X5’s retail value of $3,699, this contest represents one of the most generous single giveaways in recent industry memory. Attendees of WESTEC will be able to submit entries in person at the Tiertime booth during the show’s duration, Sept. 24-26, 2019, at the Long Beach Convention Center, Calif. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 3, 2019 at 01:51AM 3D Printing News Briefs: September 2, 2019 https://ift.tt/2lqULhp In this edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, we’ve got stories to share about a new material, a case study, and an upcoming symposium. Liqcreate has released a new 3D printing material for dental professionals. FELIXprinters published a case study about its automotive 3D printing work with S-CAN. Finally, ASTM International will soon be hosting an AM symposium in Washington DC. Liqcreate Releasing New Dental 3D Printing Resin Manufacturer of professional-grade 3D printing materials Liqcreate has been hard at work on a new 3D printing resin to help dental professionals optimize their digital workflow and scale up their in-house manufacturing. The hard work has paid off, as the company is announcing the release of its newest material, Liqcreate Premium Model – an accurate, low shrinkage resin for fabricating dental and aligner models. The opaque photopolymer is matte, and the color of skin. Parts 3D printed with Liqcreate Premium Model have low shrinkage and excellent dimensional stability, and its low odor makes it great for office use. Other benefits include high detail and accuracy, and temperature resistant for aligner production. The resin is compatible with the Anycubic Photon, Wanhao D7, and Kudo3D Bean 3D printers, in addition to all open source 385 – 420nm LCD and DLP systems. You can purchase Liqcreate Premium Model through the company’s distributor network starting September 2nd. VIDEO FELIXprinters Publishes Case Study Dutch 3D printer manufacturer FELIXprinters published a case study about its work with reverse engineering and 3D scanning company S-CAN 3D Ltd, a UK customer which uses FELIX’s AM platforms to manufacture jigs, create casting molds and masters, and prototypes. Founded in 2012, S-CAN also uses FELIX technology to manufacture automotive parts, like the pictured engine block. FELIXprinters offers a range of systems for industrial prototyping and production applications, inlcuding its Pro 3 & Tec 4 series of AM platforms and its new, larger Pro L and XL models.
At the upcoming TCT Show in Birmingham, September 24-26, the two partnering companies will exhibit together at Stand E50 in Hall 3. Visitors will be able to view FELIXprinters’ Pro series of 3D printers, as well as its new advanced, customizable 3D bioprinting platform. ASTM International’s AM Symposium Speaking of industry events, ASTM International, which recently announced that it will be hosting its second Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence Workshop in France, will also host a symposium in the Washington DC area. The Fourth ASTM Symposium on Structural Integrity of Additive Manufactured Materials and Parts, held by the ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AMCOE) from October 7-10 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland, is designed to give AM professionals a forum to exchange ideas about the structural integrity of 3D printed components and materials, focusing on quality and certification criteria and the lack of design principles and industry standards. Paper topics for the symposium include the effect of anomalies, process optimization to improve performance, feedstock and its related effects on mechanical behavior and microstructure, and the applicability of existing test methods. Sessions will be organized by sector-specific applications, such as aviation, consumer, maritime, and spaceflight. Registration for the event will be open until October 2nd, 2019. Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 2, 2019 at 05:21AM South Africa: FEA & Compression Testing of 3D Printed Models https://ift.tt/2lpYJXy Researchers D.W. Abbot, D.V.V. Kallon, C. Anghel, and P. Dube delve into complex analysis and testing in the ‘Finite Element Analysis of 3D Printed Model via Compression Tests.’ For this study, the researchers used an FEA tool for simulation and testing of 3D printed parts, with a central focus on experimenting with ‘specific imposed conditions’ on the sample models—employing a strategy that allows for much faster, more affordable assessment of parts. FEA allows researchers (and ultimately, manufacturers) to prove a variety of different prototypes created through other methods—but now a serious focus is being placed on parts printed in numerous different materials, to include ABS, PLA, and more. Square block samples were chosen for the study due to the potential for better accuracy and distribution of stress along surfaces—with the goal of allowing engineers to finally ‘trust’ FEM in terms of 3D printed objects. Compression testing involved labeling 3D printed samples as either isotropic or anisotropic, with a focus on avoiding anisotropy and inter-layer voids. In examining the samples, the researchers were able to see the internal structures of FDM 3D printed parts, along with evaluating densities. Both experimental and computational tests were performed.
FEA is centered around both the materials and techniques used, along with design—and the researchers point out that this could be different depending on the simulation software used. Both porosity and adhesion are both issues too. The researchers continued to note the ‘large discrepancy’ also between both experimental and simulated results, with test pieces exhibiting 50 percent more solidity than the experimental samples. On noting that samples ‘behaved poorly’ regarding horizontal/perpendicular loads, the researchers realized the 3D printed block samples were anisotropic. Infill simulated results and experimental results differed greatly too, as the Autodesk design and simulation were viewed as a solid (instead of porous) object; in fact, in some cases, the samples were not similar at all. In observing samples (or functional parts), it is critical to evaluate:
While 3D printing offers a wide range of benefits, the ability to edit designs and create one iteration after another at will is one of the greatest draws in comparison to more conventional methods of production. Researchers today are engaged in many different types of feasibility studies, ways to introduce new workflow features and learn more about cost analyses. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. [Source/Images: ‘ Finite Element Analysis of 3D Printed Model via Compression Tests’] Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 2, 2019 at 02:33AM
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Admatec Releases Industrial Monitoring System for Ceramic & Metal 3D Printing https://ift.tt/2lQdQK2 Dutch-based Admatec has just announced the release of a monitoring system for advanced industrial ceramic and metal additive manufacturing, offering a bevy of features that should catch the attention of many users engaged in applications for areas like biomedical, aerospace, aesthetics, and more. The launch details new advantages like:
Used with the Admatec Admaflex 130 3D printer (and materials to include Alumina, Zirconia, and Fused Silica, and metal such as 316L, 17-4-PH, Inconel 625 and Copper), the monitoring system allows the operator to view the print process and record it on a layer-by-layer process:
In series production, users are able to ‘upscale’ without tooling and make changes quickly to important features like size, materials, and shape and structure. The integrated DLP light engine offers users the ability to perform large surface printing, with precision and resolution, also manufacturing small, detailed parts. Ceramic materials, known to be ‘superior,’ can still be challenging to work with. In 3D printing, this material acts as the catalyst for designing parts and prototypes that would not have been possible otherwise. This is a common benefit of 3D printing and additive manufacturing, along with offering a route to bring obsolete parts back to life too once they have been scanned. Commercially launched in 2016, many Admaflex 130 3D printers have been installed around the world, also resulting in valuable customer feedback, allowing Admatec’s research and development group to create stronger products—with a focus on a customized approach. Admatec customers have the luxury of choosing options, creating a tailor-made 3D printer and choosing features to assist in high print quality, speed, and even an add-on for printing in metal, along with the vision-based monitoring system.
Admatec sees the potential for both ceramic and metal to have enormous impacts on a variety of industries, especially with the ability to cut costs and offer flexibility and the path to upscale production.
3D printing in both ceramics and metal is becoming increasingly popular from creating titanium matrix composites to 3D printed robots and even glass ceramics. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts; join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. VIDEO [Source / Images: Admatec] Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 2, 2019 at 12:33AM
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What is Metrology Part 13: Object Recognition https://ift.tt/34g8tFv We as humans have faulty perception of the physical environment we live in. Although we are able to distinguish 2D items and 3D items, we do not have the ability to measure them in real time with numeric values. We need to use outside devices to assist us. We have discussed at length these topics within our metrology series, but today we will take a look specifically at a subsection of knowledge within this field and computer vision. With computer oriented object recognition, humans are attempting to make the world more precise through the lens of a computer. There are a variety of things that get in the way of precise object recognition. Object recognition is defined as technology in the field of computer vision for finding and identifying objects in an image or video sequence. Humans have the ability to recognize objects with bare minimal effort, even though an image varies in different viewpoints. The image also varies when it is translated, scaled, and rotated. People are able to recognize images even when they are somewhat incomplete and missing critical information due to an obstruction of view. Humans use the power of gestalt psychology to do such. Gestalt psychology is defined as a German term interpreted in psychology as a “pattern” or “configuration”. Gestalt is based on understanding and perceiving the whole sum of an object rather than its components. This view of psychology was created to go against a belief that scientific understanding is the result of a lack of concern about the basic human details. The ability for a computer to recognize parts and synthesize them into a larger body object is the main source of error within computer vision and object recognition. This task is extremely challenging for computer vision systems. One must understand that computers have immense capabilities in logically describing constituents or smaller parts, but adding them together consistently to form the basis of a larger item is still difficult. This is personally why I am not too worried about a robot takeover anytime soon. Many approaches to the task have been implemented over multiple decades. Matlab and object detection/recognition For a computer to do sufficient object recognition there needs to be a ton of precision with identifying constituent parts. To do this, a computer relies on a vast amount of point cloud data. A point cloud is defined as a set of data points in space. Point clouds are usually produced by 3D scanners. With this point cloud data, metrology, and 3D builds can be created. An object can be recognized through using point cloud data to create a mesh. For us as humans, we are able to interpret that mesh within our 3D realm. However, computers are not that great at such interpretation. They just give us great and precise data to work with. It is important to note that computers are okay at object detection. This refers to being able to decipher a part or object within a larger scene. But when we place multiple parts into a scene or an item with a complex geometry, things become difficult for a computer to decipher. Hence we only use 3D scanners to grab point cloud data and not process what a 3D object is. Currently in terms of object recognition, computers can barely recognize larger scale items within a 2D setting. It will take a long time for computers to have the graphic capabilities to even decipher what an object would be in a 3D environment. For example, MATLAB is a powerful coding software used for large scale data processing, but computers require a large amount of machine learning and deep learning techniques to process 2D images. First these systems need to do this at a rate of 99.9% confidence before one can move on to 3D images. Humans are not necessarily 100% accurate in terms of processing images either, but they are still slightly more consistent than computer vision techniques. Overall I am interested in learning how to develop such technologies, and I wonder who are the people and organizations wrestling with these problems daily. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 1, 2019 at 11:57AM miniFactory Makes FDM Specific Technical Datasheets with Validated Materials for PEI and PEKK9/1/2019 miniFactory Makes FDM Specific Technical Datasheets with Validated Materials for PEI and PEKK https://ift.tt/2ZqefFT Headquartered in Finland, miniFactory‘s progression toward offering high-performance FDM materials for users around the world, they are making significant strides toward making it easier to fabricate not just prototypes but also real end-use parts. Recently, the miniFactory team released technical datasheets corresponding to parts fabricated on the miniFactory Ultra 3D printer, validating materials along with showing the repeatability of the process and real-life applications. As research and development progressed, they realized how critical it is for end-use parts to receive material validation but that should be printer specified, requiring the team to perform mechanical tests for the ultimate optimization for every material produced. The company now has three validated materials that along with the datasheets and corresponding settings should lead to repeatable results and predictable mechanical properties in parts. The company has released these Sabic ULTEM AM1010F filament, Sabic ULTEM AM9085F filament and PEKK-A made by Kimya from Kepstan PEKK by Arkema. VIDEO
Each test for validating materials, parts, and printing profiles along with the resulting mechanical properties can be announced in a technical datasheet—several of which have been released with their press release.
The concept of using technical datasheets with each test is a trend that should be continued as these documents contain critical information that mechanical designers can use as helpful tools for identifying mechanical properties—an area of study that is key for so many users involved in 3D printing today as different hardware and materials may impact mechanical properties or different parameters may be required for specific projects. The datasheets are made according to the relevant ASTM standard and the material and 3D printing profiles that let you have repeatable results was a “long process” according to the firm.
Their main goal continues to be providing 3D printers with reliable, repeatable processes. The developers at miniFactory are achieving this mission through offering comprehensive traceability of the 3D printing filament with technical datasheets—making certain that end-use parts are fabricated with quality, suitable mechanical properties, and the necessary durability. Find out more about this ongoing process regarding technical datasheets from miniFactory here. MiniFactory has played a part in the 3D printing industry since 2013 and unveiled their own new 3D printers last year. What do you think of this 3D printing news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. [Source / Images: MiniFactory] Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 1, 2019 at 04:48AM |
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