ISEL - Eng. Mecan. - Artigos
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing ISEL - Eng. Mecan. - Artigos by Subject "3D printing"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- 3D printing of abdominal immobilization masks for therapeutics: dosimetric, mechanical and financial analysisPublication . Duarte, Jessica; Loja, M.A.R.; Portal, Ricardo; Vieira, Lina OliveiraMolding immobilization masks is a time-consuming process, strongly dependent on the healthcare professional, and potentially uncomfortable for the patient. Thus, an alternative sustainable automated production process is proposed for abdominal masks, using fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing with polylactic acid (PLA). Radiological properties of PLA were evaluated by submitting a set of PLA plates to photon beam radiation, while estimations of their mechanical characteristics were assessed through numerical simulation. Based on the obtained results, the abdominal mask was 3D printed and process costs and times were analyzed. The plates revealed dose transmissions similar to the conventional mask at all energies, and mechanical deformation guarantees the required immobilization, with a 66% final cost reduction. PLA proved to be an excellent material for this purpose. Despite the increase in labour costs, a significant reduction in material costs is observed with the proposed process. However, the time results are not favorable, mainly due to the printing technique used in this study.
- Radiotherapy-customized head immobilization masks: from modeling and analysis to 3D printingPublication . Loja, Amélia; Craveiro, D. S.; Vieira, Lina Oliveira; Sousa, Eva; Rodrigues, J. A.; Portal, R. J. F.Immobilization devices may be a valuable aid to ensure the improved effectiveness of radiotherapy treatments where constraining the movements of specific anatomical segments is crucial. This need is also present in other situations, specifically when the superposition of various medical images is required for fine identification and characterization of some pathologies. Because of their structural characteristics, existing head immobilization systems may be claustrophobic and very uncomfortable for patients, during both the modeling and usage stages. Because of this, it is important to minimize all the discomforts related to the mask to alleviate patients’ distress and to simultaneously guarantee and maximize the restraint effectiveness of the mask. In the present work, various head immobilization mask models are proposed based on geometrical information extracted from computerized tomography images and from 3D laser scanning point clouds. These models also consider the corresponding connection to a radiotherapy table, as this connection is easily altered to accommodate various manufacturers’ solutions. A set of materials used in the radiotherapy field is considered to allow the assessment of the stiffness and strength of the masks when submitted to typical loadings.