Phase II Clinical Study of Three-Dimensional Printed Coplanar Template Combined with CT-Guided Percutaneous Core Needle Biopsy of Pulmonary Nodules in Elderly Patients

Background: As the population age structure gradually ages, more and more elderly people were found to have pulmonary nodules during physical examinations. Most elderly people had underlying diseases such as heart, lung, brain and blood vessels and cannot tolerate surgery. Computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) was the first choice for pathological diagnosis and subsequent targeted drugs, immune drugs or ablation treatment. CT-guided percutaneous CNB requires clinicians with rich CNB experience to ensure high CNB accuracy, but it was easy to cause complications such as pneumothorax and hemorrhage. Three-dimensional (3D) printing coplanar template (PCT) combined with CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary CNB biopsy has been used in clinical practice, but there was no prospective, randomized controlled study. Methods: Elderly patients with lung nodules admitted to the Department of Oncology of our hospital from January 2019 to January 2023 were selected. A total of 225 elderly patients were screened, and 30 patients were included after screening. They were randomly divided into experimental group (Group A: 30 cases) and control group (Group B: 30 cases). Group A was given 3D-PCT combined with CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary CNB biopsy, Group B underwent CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary CNB. The primary outcome measure of this study was the accuracy of diagnostic CNB, and the secondary outcome measures were CNB time, number of CNB needles, number of pathological tissues and complications. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of group A and group B was 96.67% and 76.67%, respectively (P = 0.026). There were statistical differences between group A and group B in average CNB time (P = 0.001), number of CNB (1 vs more than 1, P = 0.029), and pathological tissue obtained by CNB (3 vs 1, P = 0.040). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of pneumothorax and hemorrhage between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: 3D-PCT combined with CT-guided percutaneous CNB can improve the puncture accuracy of elderly patients, shorten the puncture time, reduce the number of punctures, and increase the amount of puncture pathological tissue, without increasing pneumothorax and hemorrhage complications. We look forward to verifying this in a phase III randomized controlled clinical study. .

The Controlled-releasing Drug Implant based on the Three Dimensional Printing Technology: Fabrication and Properties of Drug Releasing in vivo

Three dimensional （3D） printing technology was utilized to fabricate a new type of drug implant with complicated architectures, employing levofloxacin （LVFX） and rifampicine （RFP） as model drugs. The prepared drug implant prototype consists of a doublelayer structure, of which the upper region is a reservoir system containing RFP and the lower region is a matrix one containing LVFX. The release test in vivo revealed that LVFX was released in the early stage; no RFP was detected until 8th day; both of them continuously released more than 6 weeks. Therefore, 3D printing technology provides a precise and feasible method to fabricate a controlled-releasing drug implant with complicated architectures and this drug implant may present a new strategy for the prophylaxis and treatment of bone diseases such as combined bone infections and bone tuberculosis in the near future.

Three-dimensional bio-printing: A new frontier in oncology research

Current research in oncology deploys methods that rely principally on two-dimensional(2D) mono-cell cultures and animal models.Although these methodologies have led to significant advancement in the development of novel experimental therapeutic agents with promising anticancer activity in the laboratory, clinicians still struggle to manage cancer in the clinical setting.The disappointing translational success is attributable mainly to poor representation and recreation of the cancer microenvironment present in human neoplasia.Threedimensional(3D) bio-printed models could help to simulate this micro-environment, with recent bio-printing of live human cells demonstrating that effective in vitro replication is achievable.This literature review outlines up-to-date advancements and developments in the use of 3D bio-printed models currently being used in oncology research.These innovative advancements in 3D bio-printing open up a new frontier for oncology research and could herald an era of progressive clinical cancer therapeutics.

Use of three-dimensional printing in preoperative planning in orthopaedic trauma surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND With the increasing complexity of surgical interventions performed in orthopaedic trauma surgery and the improving technologies used in threedimensional(3D)printing,there has been an increased interest in the concept.It has been shown that 3D models allow surgeons to better visualise anatomy,aid in planning and performing complex surgery.It is however not clear how best to utilise the technique and whether this results in better outcomes.AIM To evaluate the effect of 3D printing used in pre-operative planning in orthopaedic trauma surgery on clinical outcomes.METHODS We performed a comprehensive systematic review of the literature and a metaanalysis.Medline,Ovid and Embase were searched from inception to February 8,2018.Randomised controlled trials,case-control studies,cohort studies and case series of five patients or more were included across any area of orthopaedic trauma.The primary outcomes were operation time,intra-operative blood loss and fluoroscopy used.RESULTS Seventeen studies(922 patients)met our inclusion criteria and were reviewed.The use of 3D printing across all specialties in orthopaedic trauma surgery demonstrated an overall reduction in operation time of 19.85%[95%confidence intervals(CI):(-22.99,-16.71)],intra-operative blood loss of 25.73%[95%CI:(-31.07,-20.40)],and number of times fluoroscopy was used by 23.80%[95%CI:(-38.49,-9.10)].CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the use of 3D printing in pre-operative planning in orthopaedic trauma reduces operative time,intraoperative blood loss and the number of times fluoroscopy is used.

Usefulness of three-dimensional visualization technology in minimally invasive treatment for infected necrotizing pancreatitis

AIM To explore the value of three-dimensional(3 D) visualization technology in the minimally invasive treatment for infected necrotizing pancreatitis(INP). METHODS Clinical data of 18 patients with INP, who were admitted to the PLA General Hospital in 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. Two-dimensional images of computed tomography were converted into 3 D images based on 3 D visualization technology. The size, number, shape and position of lesions and their relationship with major abdominal vasculature were well displayed. Also, percutaneous catheter drainage(PCD) number and puncture paths were designed through virtual surgery(percutaneous nephroscopic necrosectomy) based on the principle of maximum removal of infected necrosis conveniently.RESULTS Abdominal 3 D visualization images of all the patients were well reconstructed, and the optimal PCD puncture paths were well designed. Infected necrosis was conveniently removed in abundance using a nephroscope during the following surgery, and the median operation time was 102(102 ± 20.7) min. Only 1 patient underwent endoscopic necrosectomy because of residual necrosis. CONCLUSION The 3 D visualization technology could optimize the PCD puncture paths, improving the drainage effect in patients with INP. Moreover, it significantly increased the efficiency of necrosectomy through the rigid nephroscope. As a result, it decreased operation times and improved the prognosis.

Use of three dimensional-printing in the management of floating aortic thrombus due to occult aortic dissection:A case report

BACKGROUND Floating thrombus within the thoracic aorta is a rare entity but may cause systemic embolism.The pathogenesis of floating aortic thrombi is not yet fully understood.No definitive guidelines are available for the management of floating aortic thrombus.CASE SUMMARY We report a 48-year-old patient,without a history of trauma and infection,who presented with sudden severe back pain.A floating thrombus within the aortic arch was found by computed tomography angiography(CTA).No evidence of coagulopathies was found.However,with the assistance of a three dimensionalprinted model,this floating thrombus was identified to be caused by occult aortic dissection(AD).Subsequently,an emergency thoracic endovascular repair was performed.The patient’s back pain was rapidly alleviated postoperatively.CTA at 1 year showed no filling defect in the stent-graft and aorta.CONCLUSION Occult AD is a potential factor causing floating aortic thrombi,endovascular stent-graft exclusion may be an optimal therapeutic choice with promising results.Moreover,the combination of CTA and three dimensional-printed models can contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of floating aortic thrombi due to occult AD.

Impact of three dimensional printing in orthopedics

The primary objective of this article is to explore effects of latest development in the area of three dimensional(3D)printing&to assess its abilities,and further undertake helpful reporting.Here the focus is to assess ad vantages of 3D printing in orthopedics and analyze how 3D printed models help solve complex 3D orthopedics distortions.This study identified that 3D models manufactured by 3D printing models reduce medical parts de velopment cost and surgical planning time.Integrating 3D printing with orthopaedics helps in understanding the conditions of problems and achieving the operation succssfully.This technology can enable doctors/surgeons to design,produce,recreate and plan operations more accurately,carefully,and economicaly.3D models can assist specialists with a visual comprehension of the patient-particular pathology and life structures.Innovation in 3D printing initiated a scaffold for the virtual outline and execution of medical procedures.This research proposes the utilisation of 3D printers as an elective procedure for the fabrication of parts.It empowers surgeons/patients for better raining,education and research.In the future,there is a foreseeable expansion of additive manufacturing in orthopedics.

Four-dimensional Visual Analysis and Design Optimization of LC Filters at DC Side of Single-phase Diode Rectifiers

整流滤波电路用途广泛但其优化设计不易得到全局最优解。对单相桥式不控整流电路的LC滤波器进行深分析，得到输出平均电压、浪涌电流、振荡电压、谐波衰减比和体积等的表达式f（L，C,R），并在Matlab环境下用四维数据场展现其全局的值域分布，按需用不同交集来表征所须兼顾的多个设计目标，逐步导入约束条件来进行优化。实验结果表明，在滤波器外特性基本相同的前提下，基于数据场可视化算法的优化设计达到了体积缩小1／4的效果。

Design and Fabrication of Drug Delivery Devices with Complex Architectures Based on Three-dimensional Printing Technique

A new type of implantable drug delivery devices （ DDD ） with complicated architectures were fubricated by three-dimensional printing technique, employing levofloxacin （LVFX） as a model drug. Processing parameters were optimized in riew of the layer thickness, spucing between printed lines, flow rate of liquid binder and the fast axis speed. The prepared DDD prototype consists of a double-layer structure, of which the upper region is a reservoir system and the lower region is a matrix one. The in vitro release test revealed that LVFX was released in a dual-puse pattern. This DDD may present a new strategy for the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases such as bone infection in the near future.

Three-dimensional visualization of soil pore structure using computed tomography

The geometric and spatial characteristics of pore structures determine the permeability and water retention of soils, which have important effects on soil functional diversity and ecological restoration. Until recently, there have not been tools and methods to visually and quantitatively describe the characteristics of soil pores. To solve this problem, this research reconstructs the geometry and spatial distribution of soil pores by the marching cubes method, texture mapping method and the ray casting method widely used in literature. The objectives were to explore an optimal method for three-dimensional visualization of soil pore structure by comparing the robustness of the three methods on soil CT images with single pore structure and porosity ranging from low (2–5%) to high (12–18%), and to evaluate the reconstruction performance of the three methods with different geometric features. The results demonstrate that there are aliases (jagged edges) and deficiency at the boundaries of the model reconstructed by the marching cubes method and pore volumes are smaller than the ground truth, whereas the results of the texture mapping method lack the details of pore structures. For all the soil images, the ray casting method is preferable since it better preserves the pore characteristics of the ground truth. Furthermore, the ray casting method produced the best soil pore model with higher rendering speed and lower memory consumption. Therefore, the ray casting method provides a more advanced method for visualization of pore structures and provides an optional technique for the study of the transport of moisture and the exchange of air in soil.

Visualization analysis of the capability of weapon system of systems for multi-dimensional indicators

In the field of weapon system of systems (WSOS) simulation, various indicators are widely used to describe the capability of WSOS, but it is always difficult to describe the comprehensive capability of WSOS quickly and intuitively by visualization of multi-dimensional indicators. A method of machine learning and visualization is proposed, which can display and analyze the capabilities of different WSOS in a two-dimensional plane. The analysis and comparison of the comprehensive capability of different components of WSOS is realized by the method, which consists of six parts: multiple simulations, key indicators mining, three spatial distance calculation, fusion project calculation, calculation of individual capability density, and calculation of multiple capability ranges overlay. Binding a simulation experiment, the collaborative analysis of six indicators and 100 possible kinds of red WSOS are achieved. The experimental results show that this method can effectively improve the quality and speed of capabilities analysis, reveal a large number of potential information, and provide a visual support for the qualitative and quantitative analysis model.

Magnetic resonance imaging-three-dimensional printing technology fabricates customized scaffolds for brain tissue engineering

Conventional fabrication methods lack the ability to control both macro- and micro-structures of generated scaffolds. Three-dimensional printing is a solid free-form fabrication method that provides novel ways to create customized scaffolds with high precision and accuracy. In this study, an electrically controlled cortical impactor was used to induce randomized brain tissue defects. The overall shape of scaffolds was designed using rat-specific anatomical data obtained from magnetic resonance imaging, and the internal structure was created by computer- aided design. As the result of limitations arising from insufficient resolution of the manufacturing process, we magnified the size of the cavity model prototype five-fold to successfully fabricate customized collagen-chitosan scaffolds using three-dimensional printing. Results demonstrated that scaffolds have three-dimensional porous structures, high porosity, highly specific surface areas, pore connectivity and good internal characteristics. Neural stem cells co-cultured with scaffolds showed good viability, indicating good biocompatibility and biodegradability. This technique may be a promising new strategy for regenerating complex damaged brain tissues, and helps pave the way toward personalized medicine.

The Properties of an UV Curable Support Material Pre-polymer for Three Dimensional Printing

An ultraviolet（UV） curable support material pre-polymer for three dimensional printing was prepared based on the synergistic effect between PEO-PPO-PEO tri-block copolymer（F127） and polyethylene glycol （400） di-acrylate（SR344）. The effects of jetting conditions, thermal stability, curing time, mechanical properties and shrinking rate on printing models were studied. The situation of removing support material from build model was investigated after building progress was completed. The experimental result shows that when F127 is 6.0wt%, SR344 is 20.0wt%, 4-Methoxy phenol is 0.15wt% and Irgacure 2959 is 1.5wt%, the support material pre-polymer could be jetted out from the nozzles smoothly during building up of three dimensional printing models at 50-55 ℃. In addition, the support material could be removed easily from building model without spoiling the model; furthermore, the forming precision of building model is improved.

Integrating Biodegradable 3-Dimensional-Printing into Tracheal Reconstruction

Background: Currently, there is no set standard treatment for long-segment tracheomalacia and stenosis. In this study we set out to explore the potential to create a tissue engineered, biodegradable and three-dimensionally (3D) printed tracheal ring as a first step towards bioengineering a long segment tracheal replacement. Method of Approach: A 3D-Computer aided design (CAD) model was produced with multiple channels to allow for cellular growth while mimicking the native anatomy. The design was optimized to allow for printability, cellular expansion, and integration and 3D printed using a modified commercial 3D printer. Results: The cells grown in the scaffold demonstrated a similar proliferation trend compared to control. Chondrocytes within the 3D printed ring retained their phenotypic properties and did not infer any significant change in flexibility, contour and strength to the scaffold. Conclusion: The combination of living cells and a 3D modeled patient specific graft may address some of the unmet clinical needs in the field of tracheal reconstruction. This proof of concept study represents a first step towards producing a 3D printed and tissue engineered long segment tracheal replacement graft for airway surgery.

Rheological characteristics of drug-loaded microemulsions and their printability in three dimensional printing systems

Rheological properties of microemulsions(MEs) and their printability in three dimensional printing(3DP) systems were investigated.A series of MEs with different contents of oil phase were prepared using sonication method with ibuprofen as model drug and soybean lecithin as emulfier.Stationary and transient rheological properties of MEs were investigated by ARES-SRF using concentric cylinders measuring systems.3DP systems with piezoelectric drop-on-demand print heads were employed to test the printability of the MEs.Results demonstrate that the apparent viscosity and dynamic linear viscoelastic regions of the MEs are the most important parameters for continuous and stable printing of MEs by 3DP.The incorporation of drug in the MEs has little influence on the MEs' stationary rheological behaviors and dynamic viscoelasticity,but the concentration of oil phase has a strong influence on them.The rheological property of binder liquids has a close relationship with their printability in 3DP system.

Rapid manufacture of Ni-based superalloy components by three-dimensional printing

The challenge to rapid manufacturing high performance metal components is how to consolidate the uncompressed powder preforms to full or near full density without shape distortion. A new approach developed by ProMetal was proposed, in which a bimodal powder, typically a coarse prealloyed powder blended with a fine metal powder was used to build green preforms by three-dimensional printing and then sintered at a temperature above the solidus temperature of the coarse prealloyed powder and below the melting temperature of the fine powder particles or the solidus temperature if the fine powder is a prealloyed powder as well. This approach was successfully applied to sinter Ni-based superalloy 718 preforms, which were built through three dimensional printing into near full density.

Geologic body three-dimensional model generation and visualization method

The divergence three-dimensional millet-seed body model and the continuous distributing layer-imitating model were introduced, which were used to express geologic body, and the procedure of generating these two models and their merits and demerits were synthesized. Three methods of geologic body’s three-dimensional expression were separately introduced, and the merits of the continuous distributing layer imitating model were proposed as comparing with the divergence three-dimensional millet-seed body model. The three-dimensional cubes were observed from any direction and any tangle with the application of dealing methods such as peeling, hollowing out, transparent or half-transparent.

Application of Three-Dimensional Visualization Technology in Project Management of Offshore Platform Engineering Construction

Three-dimensional visualization technology converts engineering design drawings and data into graphics or images, realizes virtual reality perception of simulated users in future construction scene, enhances the interaction between project management and technical personnel and engineering construction achievement, and provides intuitive, flexible and strong realistic experience for project management. It can effectively improve the level of project communication, and assist the needs of project construction planning management, training, exhibition, etc. As a tool to help improve project management skills, it has good application effect and prospects.

Part Orientation Optimization in Three Dimensional Printing

Part orientation is one of the important factors in manufacturing with three dimensional printing (3DP) of rapid prototyping system. The minimum building time, being achieved by the part’s minimum building height and minimum width in 3DP’s y direction, is set as the objective of optimizing the part orientation. Genetic algorithm is adopted to find the minimum building height of parts and then ergodic searching is used to get the minimum width of part in y direction. A corresponding program for optimizing part orientation in 3DP was developed. Tests show the proposed approach is effective and fast.

In-situ three-dimensional visualization of dynamic tension deformation in ferrite stainless steels

An improved three-dimensional （3-D） experimental visualization methodology is presented tor evaluating the fracture mechanisms of ferritic stainless steels by in-situ tensile testing with an environmental scanning electron microscope （ESEM）. The samples were machined with a radial notched shape and a sloped surface. Both planar surface deformation and sloping surface deformation-induced microvoids were observed during dynamic tension experiments, where a greater amount of information could be obtained from the sloping surface. The results showed that microvoids formed at the grain boundaries of highly elongated large grains. The microvoids nucleated in the severely deformed regions grew nearly parallel to the tensile axis, predominantly along the grain boundaries. The microvoids nucleated at the interface of particles and the matrix did not propagate due to the high plasticity of the matrix. The large microvoids propagated and showed a zigzag shape along the grain boundaries,seemingly a consequence of the fracture of the slip bands caused by dislocation pile-ups. The final failure took place due to the reduction of the load-beating area.