Designing Parametric Modeling for Bioprinting Ear Cartilage

Designing Parametric Modeling for Bioprinting Ear Cartilage

Feenstra, C.J.

Goossens, R.H.M. (mentor)
Verlinden, J.C. (mentor)
Song, Y. (mentor)
Bos, E.J. (mentor)
Wolff, J. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Design Engineering

Master of Science Integrated Product Design

2014-08-25

At the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, a new process for total ear reconstruction is being developed. The current ear reconstruction process involves the sculpting of a scaffold which will be wrapped in skin to form the shape of the new ear. This requires the harvesting of large amounts of rib cartilage needed for construction of the ear scaffold, and only limited personalization of the new ear scaffold is realized. The new process has the patient's remaining ear 3D-scanned after which a standard parametric implantable model of a scaffold has to be adjusted to fit the 3D scan. This model is then 3D printed and used in the reconstruction of the ear. This project focuses on the fitting of the parametric model to the scan data. Based on a model made by Tom Scholten, a parametric model is further developed using the Rhinoceros3D plug-in Grasshopper. A MATLAB program is developed, along with a graphical user interface. An automatic feature has also been developed and tested. While the software and model combination is but a proof of concept and only a step in the development of the whole new ear reconstruction process, the results obtained in this project are notable: the shape of the parametric model and its adjustment parameters were evaluated by VUMC experts and found to be good for this stage of the project. The MATLAB program also performed well, but is still subject to further research. The user interface obtained positive feedback from a user test as well as from an accompanying questionnaire. Finally, a number of recommendations for further research and development are given.

ear
parametric
matlab
automatic
scaling
reconstruction
interface

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:43eb09b3-0874-40b7-b739-04c397538c89

2015-08-25

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2014 Feenstra, C.J.