A Warsaw technology company specializing in 3D printing called Sygnis has helped and saved the life of a newborn baby with a critically underdeveloped cranium by printing the exact model of the baby's skull in one day.

Figure 1: 3D printing called Sygnis has helped and saved the life.

Figure 1 shows thatBrain surgeries might be quite complex operations many times. If the surgery will be operated on a baby or a child, it is a more challenging process. [1]

The news of a medical team who used 3D scanning technology to save a baby born with a part of the skull open was announced late. An American IT specialized media, reported that Polish medical staff saved the life of a child born with a skull deformity through surgery using 3D scanning.

A child was born in Zesup, Poland, with a poorly formed back of the head, with a fifth of its skull open.It was not possible to diagnose the malformation by testing during pregnancy, and the condition of the child that was discovered only after birth was a situation in which the brain was exposed to the outside, so a fatal infection was inevitable.

At that time, the medical staff had only four days to save the child.The medical staff needed a physical model the same size as the child's skull for safe and fast surgery, and they sent CT and MRI images to a local 3D printing company and asked for visualization. [2]

According to Sygnis, after receiving the project file, 2 engineers began printing the 3D skull model required for the baby. The company also stated that they did not want to put baby at risk, so they used 2 different technologies:

The first model was created using SLS (selective laser sintering) technology realized on Sinterit Lisa Pro 3D printer with PA12 powder. Time to complete – 24 hours. The second model is created using SLA technology (printing technology that hardening photosensitive resins layer by layer) made on the FlashForge Photo 8.9sz 3D printer, with the standard resin in white. 8 hours for execution.

Sygnis also halted all 3D printing projects in order to save the baby’s life and completed the baby’s skull project in 26 hours.Choice of resin technology (SLA) on FlashForge Photo 8.9s 3D printers was used to quickly obtain an illustrative printout for evaluation by specialists prior to printing in SLS technology.

However, the model for preoperative surgical training was 3D printed using SLS technology and polyamide (PA12) printing. Powder technology allows for 3D printing without the use of support structures, allowing for the perfect reproduction of geometrically complex bone structures. [3]

References:

1. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/engineers-saved-a-babys-life-by-printing-the-missing-part-of-her-skull
2. https://www.tellerreport.com/news/2022-08-17-surgery-using-3d-printing----baby-born-with-open-skull-saved.Syru4MqAc.html
3. https://scienceatom.com/2022/08/surgeons-used-3d-printed-models-to-save-a-baby-life/

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), Born with a Skull Opened Baby Saved using 3D Scanning Technology, Anatechmaz, pp.189