JP7437826B2 - Organ model for surgical practice - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an organ model for surgical practice .

Conventionally, it has been proposed to use a resin mold as a mold instead of a metal mold. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique in which a resin mold produced with a 3D printer is used, a molded product is investigated, and the investigation results are reflected in the production of a mold for mass production.

JP2016-028876A

Molding molds made with 3D printers have been used not only for research when manufacturing molds as described above, but also for molding regular molded products using only resin molds. Such resin molds are required to have high functionality.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a mold that can realize high functionality.

In order to achieve the above object, the method of manufacturing an organ model for surgical practice of the present invention uses a 3D printer to place a plurality of resin materials with different physical properties including hardness at predetermined positions, and performs surgery. During the process, parts that should never be cut are made harder than other parts.

Here, the modeling may be performed in one modeling .

The present invention can provide a method for manufacturing a mold that can achieve high functionality.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a mold according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mold used in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mold used in an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 1 is an external view of a liver organ model according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an external view of a blood vessel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a manufacturing flow diagram of a blood vessel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a molded article is placed in a transfer recess of a mold according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how blood vessels are placed in the mold before the gel is placed in the mold. It is a perspective view of a blood vessel showing a modification of this embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. Here, the physical property is one or more selected from mechanical properties, thermal properties, electrical properties, magnetic properties, and optical properties. Further, the gel is, for example, something as soft as an organ or human skin. Furthermore, in this specification, "molding" refers to making a material into a certain shape using a mold, etc., and refers to making something with a shape using a three-dimensional printer (3D printer), etc., which will be described later. It's called "shaping." Furthermore, in this specification, things expressed as "hard" have a Shore hardness of 95 or more, and things expressed as "soft", such as gel, have a Shore hardness of less than 95. In addition, in this specification, a "molded product" refers to a product made from a molding material such as a "gel" using a mold, and a "molded product" refers to a product made with a 3D printer, such as a material that imitates biological tissue. It is called ``sculpted object''. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "resin material" includes a single resin, a mixture of different resins, and a material in which a resin is mixed with metal, ceramic, or the like. Furthermore, a mold made to imitate living tissue is referred to as a "second molded object."

(Method for manufacturing a mold according to an embodiment of the present invention...creation of three-dimensional CAD data, etc.)
EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the shaping|molding die based on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to drawings. FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a mold according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 are perspective views of a mold used in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

First, step S shown in FIG. 1 is performed. Step S is a step of forming a mold onto which the shape of the object is transferred using a 3D printer. A 3D printer is referred to as a three-dimensional printing device, three-dimensional printer, three-dimensional modeling machine, or the like. Furthermore, a 3D printer prints and manufactures 3D objects based on three-dimensional CAD (computer-aided design) data. A 3D printer is used that has the ability to place multiple resin materials with different physical properties and colors at predetermined positions. When printing with a 3D printer, a photocurable resin such as an ultraviolet curable resin is formed one layer at a time, and a resin layer is formed by repeating the process of irradiating ultraviolet rays each time to harden the resin. Printing, or modeling, dimensional shapes. This photocurable resin includes a resin that is cured by light such as a black light or a laser, in addition to a resin that is cured by ultraviolet light.

Part or all of the three-dimensional CAD data of an object can be obtained by scanning the object with a three-dimensional scanner, for example. A non-contact type 3D scanner mainly uses light, or electromagnetic waves, to irradiate an object with a laser or the like and analyze the reflected light to obtain 3D CAD data. Further, when obtaining three-dimensional CAD data of an organ model, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) or CT (Computed Tomography) scanner or the like can be used. In addition, part or all of the three-dimensional CAD data can be obtained by modeling by operating three-dimensional CAD software on a computer without using a three-dimensional scanner, MRI, CT scanner, or the like.

Then, three-dimensional CAD data of a set of molds 1a and 1b is created by transferring the shape of the object. This object is a human liver. Three-dimensional CAD data (A) of the human liver is created by scanning the human liver with an MRI or CT scanner (S1). Then, three-dimensional CAD data (B1, B2) of each of the pair of molds 1a, 1b, other than the transfer portions 23a, 23b (described later), are created one by one (S2). The three-dimensional CAD data (B1, B2) are created by operating three-dimensional CAD software on a computer.

Then, the three-dimensional CAD data (A) of the human liver is processed (S3). There are two processing points. The first processing point is processing to reverse the unevenness of the three-dimensional CAD data (A) of the human liver. This is because, in order to mold a human liver using a pair of molds 1a and 1b, the unevenness of the three-dimensional CAD data (A) needs to be reversed. The second processing point is to distribute the shape of a human liver to a set of molds 1a and 1b, by reversing the unevenness of the three-dimensional CAD data (A) of the human liver and cutting it by about half. This is processing to separate the data into two three-dimensional CAD data, A1 and A2 (S3). These processes are also performed by operating three-dimensional CAD software on a computer.

Then, the three-dimensional CAD data (A1) and the three-dimensional CAD data (B1) are combined or added (S4). Similarly, the three-dimensional CAD data (A2) and the three-dimensional CAD data (B2) are combined or added (S4). That is,
A1+B1→C1
A2+B2→C2
These data operations are performed to obtain three-dimensional CAD data (C1) and three-dimensional CAD data (C2). The three-dimensional CAD data (C1) is the three-dimensional CAD data of the mold 1a, and the three-dimensional CAD data (C2) is the three-dimensional CAD data of the mold 1b. These operations are also performed by operating three-dimensional CAD software on a computer.

Here, the molds 1a and 1b each have a plurality of sections partitioned into three-dimensional shapes, and resin is placed in each section. The outline of each compartment is not visible. Each section is formed into various shapes. The printing conditions of the 3D printer are adjusted so that the physical properties of the resin, such as hardness, surface roughness, moisture content, heat resistance, thermal conductivity, etc., are specific. Model 1a and 1b. At this time, the three-dimensional CAD data includes data for forming the sections, data for arranging the physical properties and colors of the resin in each section, and the like.

Therefore, in the three-dimensional CAD data obtained in steps S1 to S4, a plurality of sections of the molds 1a and 1b each partitioned into a three-dimensional shape are set (S5). Next, the physical properties and color of the resin material to be supplied to each section are set in the three-dimensional CAD data (S6).

Then, based on the three-dimensional CAD data of the set of molds 1a and 1b, the aforementioned 3D printer is used to model the set of molds 1a and 1b, respectively (S7). At this time, the 3D printer mixes multiple types of resin materials and jets them to form a resin material with specific physical properties to form each section.

(Method for manufacturing a mold according to an embodiment of the present invention...configuration of a mold)
The molds 1a, 1b are a combination of a pair of molds 1a, 1b. One of the molds 1a has a transfer recess 23a into which the shape of about half of the human liver is transferred, and the other mold 1b has the shape of the remaining half of the human liver described above. There is a transfer recess 23b whose shape has been transferred. The transfer recesses 23a and 23b are recessed relative to the reference surfaces 24a and 24b that are in close contact with each other when the pair of molds 1a and 1b are closed.

The resin materials of the molds 1a and 1b and their arrangement will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, which is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. The reference surfaces 24a, 24b, the outer wall 54, and other parts of the outer wall 54 of the molds 1a, 1b other than the transfer portions 23a, 23b and the edges 233a, 233b (described later) have heat resistance other than that of the molds 1a, 1b. Use a resin material that is higher than that of the parts. This is because the temperature of the reference surfaces 24a, 24b, outer wall 54, etc. increases the most during molding.

As shown in FIG. 4, a resin material having higher toughness (elasticity) than other parts is used for the cross-sectional inner layer 53 of the mold 1a. This is to give flexibility to almost the entire molds 1a, 1b. If the molds 1a and 1b are made of the same resin material as the outer wall 54, there is a risk that the mold 1a will crack. Note that not only the cross section of the mold 1a but also the cross section of the mold 1b similarly has a cross-sectional inner layer 53 having flexibility as shown in FIG.

Of the transfer parts 23a and 23b, the transfer parts 230a and 230b, which transfer the shape of the liver other than the blood vessel 52, are made of a resin material whose thermal conductivity is lower than that of other parts. In this case, a material with a thermal conductivity of 0.15 (W/m·K) is used, but values other than this may be used. This is because the transfer portions 230a and 230b have very complicated shapes, so the gel flowing therein is made to have good fluidity, harden as slowly as possible, and make it difficult to cause molding defects. Thus, slowing down the curing rate of a gel generally increases the water content of the gel and making it softer than increasing the curing rate.

Of the transfer parts 23a and 23b, the transfer parts 232a and 232b, which transfer the liver blood vessels 52, are made of a resin material whose thermal conductivity is higher than that of other parts. This is because, like the artery 11, the blood vessel 52 is made of a resin material and is modeled using a 3D printer, so it is not molded by the molds 1a and 1b, and it is not molded by the molds 1a and 1b, so it can be formed slowly and without molding defects. This is because there is no need to lower the temperature. Rather, this is because the blood vessel 52 needs to be prevented from being deformed or the like by avoiding heating by the molds 1a and 1b as much as possible.

The edge portion 233a, which is a region surrounding the entire periphery of the transfer portions 23a and 23b by about 5 mm, is made of an elastic resin material that feels like rubber. The Shore hardness of the resin material used here is 60°. The edges 233a and 233b are for maintaining airtightness so that the gel does not flow out between the molds 1a and 1b when the gel is placed in the molds with the molds 1a and 1b closed. . Therefore, although not clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, as shown in FIG. 4, the edges 233a and 233b slightly protrude from the reference surfaces 24a and 24b. This protruding portion maintains the above-mentioned airtightness when the reference surfaces 24a and 24b are aligned and the molds 1a and 1b are in a closed state. The broken lines in FIGS. 2 and 3 indicate the boundaries between the edges 233a and 233b and the reference surfaces 24a and 24b.

One mold 1a has recesses 25a, 25b, and 25c in an area where the liver shape is not transferred, and the other mold 1b has recesses 25a and 25b in an area where the liver shape is not transferred. , 25c are provided. By fitting the recess 25a and the projection 26a, the recess 25b and the projection 26b, and the recess 25c and the projection 26c, the transfer recess 23a and the transfer recess 23b are aligned. When the positions are adjusted in this manner and the pair of molds 1a and 1b are in a closed state and the reference surfaces 24a and 24b are in close contact with each other, the two transfer recesses 23a and 23b are formed. The created space can be made to have the exact shape of a human liver.

Note that when the pair of molds 1a, 1b is open, grooves 27a, 27b for supplying molding material from the outside to the transfer recesses 23a, 23b are provided in each of the molds 1a, 1b. When the pair of molds 1a, 1b is closed, the two grooves 27a, 27b serve as a path, forming a molding material supply path 28 that supplies molding material from the outside to both the transfer recesses 23a, 23b.

The transfer recesses 23a and 23b include transfer portions 232a and 232b in which the blood vessel 52 is placed, and the blood vessel 52 is placed in that space. Then, when the pair of molds 1a and 1b are closed, the blood vessel 52 does not move and is placed in the space formed by the transfer recesses 23a and 23b. Thereafter, the remaining gaps between the transfer recesses 23a and 23b are filled with a molding material consisting of agar and water from the molding material supply path 28 to form a molded article. Through the above steps, an organ model in which the blood vessel 52 is embedded in the molded article can be manufactured.

(Configuration and manufacturing method of molded product molded with mold according to embodiment of the present invention)
FIG. 5 shows a molded article 30 molded using the molds 1a and 1b. The molded article 30 is a human liver organ model having a gel 31 and blood vessels 52. The blood vessel 52 has an artery 52a, which is a large trunk, and a thin blood vessel 52b, which is derived from the artery 52a. In the organ model, a part of the blood vessel 52 is embedded in the gel 31. This blood vessel 52 is made of resin and is modeled using a 3D printer. Further, the blood vessels 52 are colored blue and red. The blood vessel 52 becomes a part that is harder than the molded article 30. The gel 31 is a soft material made from agar and water as molding materials.

In this way, the living tissue of the blood vessel 52 and the molded object 30 preferably have different colors so that they can be visually distinguished, and more preferably have colors that imitate the living tissue of a human body or an animal. Moreover, the molded article 30 is a body tissue imitation (liver) different from one body tissue imitation (blood vessel 52).

A portion of the blood vessel 52 is embedded in the molded product 31 in the molds 1a and 1b during molding. A method for manufacturing the molded article 30 will be explained. The molding material of the gel 31 has thermoreversible gelling properties. The specific molding material is water mixed with agar. The mixing ratio is 20 g of powdered agar to 1000 g of water. After heating and melting the agar to make the agar into a sol state, the above-mentioned pair of molds 1a and 1b are closed, and with the artery 52a placed in the transfer portions 232a and 232b, the molding material is supplied from the molding material supply path 28. . The sol-like agar aqueous solution that is the molding material has a low viscosity at about 60° C. and can penetrate into the fine parts of the transfer parts 23a and 23b. Note that when the pair of molds 1a and 1b are closed and the reference surfaces 24a and 24b are in close contact with each other, the sol-like agar aqueous solution has the following properties: Almost no leakage occurred from the gap between the pair of molds 1a and 1b.

After the molding material has sufficiently penetrated into the transfer recesses 23a and 23b, the temperature of the pair of molds 1a and 1b is cooled to 20°C. This completes the molding. The human liver organ model is translucent. The set of molds 1a, 1b can be used many times to mold the molding material. In the above manner, the human liver organ model according to the embodiment of the present invention is manufactured.

(Method for manufacturing blood vessel 52 according to embodiment of the present invention)
FIG. 6 shows the appearance of the blood vessel 52. The blood vessel 52 is manufactured from a plurality of resin materials having different physical properties or colors. For example, the hardness and the like are changed depending on the location of the blood vessel 52. This blood vessel 52 is also manufactured using a 3D printer that has the ability to place a plurality of resin materials with different physical properties and colors at predetermined positions. The manufacturing method is the same as that of the mold 1a. FIG. 7 shows the manufacturing flow diagram. A plurality of sections partitioned into three-dimensional shapes are set in the three-dimensional CAD data of the blood vessel 52b (S22). Next, the physical properties and color of the resin material to be supplied to each section are set in the three-dimensional CAD data (S23). Then, the blood vessel 52 is modeled based on the three-dimensional CAD data of the blood vessel 52 (S24).

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how the blood vessel 52 is placed in the mold 1a before the gel is put into the mold 1a. The artery 52a is fitted into the transfer portion 232a with almost no gap. Therefore, in the blood vessel 52, the artery 52a was fixed by the transfer portion 232a, and no wobbling or the like occurred. Furthermore, the artery 52a is also fitted into the transfer portion 232b of the mold 1b with almost no gaps. Therefore, the thin blood vessel portion 52b can float in the transfer parts 230a, 230b without coming into contact with the transfer parts 230a, 230b. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a molded article in which the thin blood vessel portion 52b is completely buried in the gel. In addition, in FIG. 9, the description of the edges 233a and 233b is omitted.

(Main effects obtained by this embodiment)
Since the embodiment of the present invention uses a mold obtained by a 3D printer, it is possible to easily manufacture a human liver organ model, which is a molded product thereof. Moreover, since the molds 1a and 1b can be used for molding the molding material many times, it is possible to reduce the cost of manufacturing the organ model.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a set of molds 1a and 1b for an organ model is manufactured using a 3D printer. 3D printers have the characteristic of being able to reflect three-dimensional CAD data into printed matter, that is, the shape of objects, with surprising fidelity. 3D printers are said to be able to express unevenness as fine as 14 μm. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a mold in which fine irregularities such as blood vessels are faithfully transferred to the transfer parts 23a and 23b. The effect of faithfully transferring these fine irregularities cannot be obtained when conventional molds are used, and can only be obtained when molds 1a and 1b are manufactured using a 3D printer. Moreover, the cost and time required to manufacture a set of molds 1a and 1b using a 3D printer can be reduced to about 1/6 of that of conventional molds.

Further, the organ model obtained according to this embodiment can have a tactile sensation that is similar to the real thing. In addition, this organ model can be made to feel like the real thing when cut with a scalpel or Pean. Therefore, this organ model is suitable for use in pre-surgery practice and in training for doctors. Furthermore, the organ model is useful because it allows the user to practice suturing on the organ model when practicing suturing during surgery. Further, the organ model is useful when simulating the route to reach a tumor etc. because the organ model can be used for simulation. Furthermore, the organ model is useful because it allows injections to be made to the organ model when practicing injections, such as during surgery. Furthermore, organ models and the like are useful because they can be used in evaluations, safety tests, and verifications of medical devices. Furthermore, the organ model is useful in training for learning how to operate a medical robot, as the medical robot can be moved relative to the organ model. Further, the organ model is useful because it is possible to perform tests and the like on the organ model when practicing PTC (percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography) or PTCD (percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage). The organ model can also be used for simulations using ultrasound medical equipment. You can also practice endoscopy by making a tube from the esophagus to the stomach, or from the anus to the intestines, using a gel similar to the organ model. It is said that the more times a person cuts organs, etc., the better the doctor becomes, so if one can gain experience using this organ model, it is thought that this organ model will make a great contribution to medicine. Furthermore, since this organ model is mainly composed of agar, a type of food, it is highly environmentally friendly even if it becomes waste. Additionally, in the past, it has been done to kill living animals and remove their organs to obtain human organ models (substitutes), but this embodiment There is no need for unnecessary killing. In addition, the softness of the molded product can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of water in the molding material, such as agar, and the texture of the molded product can be changed by mixing fibrous materials, etc. It is possible to obtain molds with different textures.

For example, in the cross-sectional schematic diagram of the transfer portion 23a of the mold 1a as shown in FIG. The object 30 can be demolded. The reason for this is that the molding material is agar, and the molded product 30, which can be said to be liquid, has a very low viscosity. This is because they can crawl under the surface.

Further, according to this embodiment, it was possible to obtain a human liver organ model in which the blood vessel 52 had a different tactile feel. The organ model is an organ model in which the blood vessels 52 are made hard and the molded article 30 is made soft with agar and water, so that the blood vessels 52 are prominent.

Furthermore, the human liver organ model allows surgical practice while being aware of the position of the blood vessels 52. Therefore, an organ model for surgical practice that is more realistic can be provided. In addition, the blood vessel 52 can be used once as an organ model, and after cutting the gel 31 portion with a scalpel or the like, it can be reused many times, resulting in a greater cost reduction of the organ model.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by combining a plurality of resin materials with different physical properties, it is possible to change the hardness, surface roughness, heat resistance, elasticity, thermal conductivity, etc. of each section of the molds 1a and 1b. Can be done. For example, if the thermal conductivity of each section of the molds 1a, 1b can be varied, the curing rate of the gel can be partially adjusted. Furthermore, if the hardness of each section of the molds 1a, 1b can be changed, the sturdiness or strength of the molds 1a, 1b can be partially adjusted. Furthermore, if the surface roughness of the molds 1a, 1b can be changed, the design of the molds 1a, 1b can be partially adjusted. Moreover, if the heat resistance of each section of the molds 1a, 1b can be changed, the heat resistance of the molds 1a, 1b can be partially adjusted. Moreover, if the elasticity of each section of the molds 1a, 1b can be changed, the molds 1a, 1b can be sealed by the edges 233a, 233b, or the flexibility of almost the entire molds 1a, 1b can be made flexible by the cross-sectional inner layer 53. It is possible to give gender. From these things, it is possible to provide molds 1a and 1b that can achieve high functionality.

A 3D printer (one that has the ability to place multiple resin materials with different physical properties and colors in a predetermined position) can be equipped with up to six ink cartridges that store and supply resin materials, and each cartridge It is possible to inject resin materials at the same time. Therefore, the molds 1a and 1b can be manufactured by disposing the resin material necessary for manufacturing the molds 1a and 1b as an integrally formed object (one block) that does not require a connecting member in one printing operation.

As in the embodiment of the present invention, by changing the hardness of each section of the molds 1a and 1b, it is possible to make a molded part of a model of an organ such as a human liver more realistically. The human liver is not an artificial object, so strictly speaking, the hardness etc. of each part should be different, but if you make a molded object from gel, all parts of the human liver will inevitably have the same hardness etc. Put it away. The embodiments of the present invention make it possible to realize such a delicate texture of the human liver using an organ model.

When the resin material of the edges 233a and 233b is made based on a metal mold instead of the molds 1a and 1b, it is usual to form the resin material by pasting rubber or the like to a predetermined location of the mold. Usually, the rubber etc. attached to this mold peel off very easily. However, since the molds 1a and 1b are integrally molded, the edges 233a and 233b are extremely difficult to peel off.

The organ model such as the human liver according to the embodiment of the present invention is used to perform tests, etc. on the organ model when practicing PTC (percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography) or PTCD (percutaneous transhepatic bile duct drainage). It is useful because it can be done. This organ model can also be used for simulations using ultrasound medical equipment. For example, by changing the hardness and coefficient of friction of the surfaces of veins and portal veins, trainee doctors can judge the area by the feel of the medical instrument they are handling, which is very useful for trainee doctors when practicing surgeries, etc. Beneficial. In addition, in the case of endoscopic surgery, which is often used in recent surgeries, a camera is inserted through a small hole in the chest and the surgery is performed while viewing the screen. At this time, in a process similar to the manufacturing process of the blood vessel 52 according to the embodiment of the present invention, contents that approximate the hardness or friction coefficient of the actual organ can be created in addition to information from the screen.

(other forms)
Although the method for manufacturing a mold according to the embodiment of the present invention described above is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made without changing the gist of the present invention. is possible.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the molded article 30 is an organ model of a human liver. However, other organ models such as a human kidney or heart organ model may be used. It may also be used as an animal organ model. Furthermore, the molded article 30 may be a so-called medical model such as human skin, eyeballs, or brain. In addition to surgical care, "medical care" in this medical model includes dentistry, plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery, etc. Furthermore, the molded article 30 may be used in fields completely unrelated to medical care, such as dolls. For example, the molded article 30 may be an earthworm used as bait for fishing. If the worms are made of agar, etc., it will not have a negative impact on the natural environment even if they are discarded.

The molding material used was a mixture of water and agar, and the mixing ratio was 20 g of powdered agar to 1000 g of water. However, the concentrations of the mixed and dissolved solutions can be varied as appropriate. For example, if you want to make the molded product soft, increase the water content, and if you want to make the molded product hard, reduce the water content. Moreover, gels other than agar can be used. Furthermore, the molding material is not limited to gel, for example, a resin material can be used as the molding material.

Further, the organ model has translucency. However, the color of the organ model can be any color. For example, it can be colored exactly like that organ. Further, the blood vessel 52, which is a hard part, may have a part that is a different color from the molded article 30. For example, organ models can be colored by mixing food coloring with the molding material. Furthermore, the surface of the organ model can be colored after molding.

In the embodiment of the present invention, three-dimensional CAD data of a human liver is obtained by scanning the human liver with a three-dimensional scanner. However, the three-dimensional CAD data of the molded article 30 does not necessarily need to be obtained using a three-dimensional scanner, and may be obtained by operating a three-dimensional CAD, for example.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the blood vessel 52 is the highlighted part of the human liver organ model. However, in the organ model, the portion to be highlighted is not limited to the blood vessel 52, but may be the portion of the tumor 11c, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. The tumor 11c part is the hardest part of the human liver, so a human liver organ model in which the tumor 11c part is made hard and the other parts are made soft becomes a more realistic organ model. Such organ models can also be used to practice tumor removal surgery. Further, a part or all of a body tissue imitating an organ or the like may be embedded in the molded article 30. This living tissue includes one or more selected from tumors, calculus, teeth, and dental calculus. Here, the biological tissue may be modeled using a 3D printer or may be formed using a mold.

The living tissue is one that imitates part or all of the human body or animal body; for example, in the case of humans, the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, heart, lungs, bronchi, pharynx, tongue, ears, eyes, stomach, Modeling one or more of the following: small intestine, large intestine, gallbladder, liver, kidney, pancreas, esophagus, duodenum, adrenal gland, testis, bladder, uterus, breast, muscle, artery, vein, lymph, spinal cord, bone, nail, and skin. You may do so. Furthermore, not only normal cells but also abnormal cells such as tumors may be molded and modeled.

Furthermore, "imitation of living tissue" includes those whose shape or texture is deliberately different from that of actual living tissue. For example, if there is a blood vessel 52 and a vein in the liver that was not explained in the embodiment of the present invention, the hardness of the artery 52a and vein will be determined when a doctor applies a medical treatment instrument such as a hypodermic needle. , the touch may be different depending on whether it is applied to the artery 52a or the vein. This ``imitation of living tissue'' that provides a different feel when struck by a medical treatment instrument is extremely useful for trainee doctors when practicing surgery. The 3D printer used in this embodiment is suitable for modeling such "imitations of biological tissue" having different hardness and the like.

The molded article 30 other than the living tissue may be a material imitating a living tissue or a surgical material such as an implant (for example, a metal plate or screw such as a titanium plate or a titanium screw, an artificial valve, an artificial (artificial objects intentionally left in the body, such as bone, calcium or calcium compounds, intravenous needles, plastic tubing, etc.) In addition, surgical materials include artificial objects (gauze, bullets, hypodermic needles, etc.) that may remain in the body unintentionally and are removed during excision surgery.

The blood vessel 52 according to the embodiment of the present invention is made of a resin material and is modeled using a 3D printer. However, the blood vessel 52 may be made of a material other than a resin material, such as glass, or may be obtained by a method other than a 3D printer, such as injection molding, compression molding, or extrusion molding. In addition, the blood vessel 52 has a part of a modeled object or a second molded object, and a part or all of the modeled object or the second molded object is placed in a mold at the time of molding, and the molded object is 30 and may be embedded in the molded product 30. Here, "the shaped article or the second molded article" may have the same softness as the molded article 30, or may be softer than the molded article 30. Among the "modeled object or second molded object", the modeled object is, for example, one that has been modeled with a three-dimensional printer, and the second molded object is, for example, one that has been molded with a mold. Furthermore, since biological tissue such as the blood vessel 52 can be made of hollow rubber material as soft as a marshmallow or an earlobe using a 3D printer, it is possible to create something that feels just like a real blood vessel. In addition, by putting a soft gel like molded object 30 into the hollow of such a molded object imitating a hollow rubber foot, it is possible to create a state in which the foot has pus (made with gel). It is possible to create something similar to that, and to practice its treatment. Moreover, the molded article 30 can be made without the need for molded articles such as the blood vessel 52.

The molds 1a and 1b may be partially or entirely made of a transparent resin material. By using a transparent resin material, it is possible to visualize how the organ model is being molded. In addition, during the manufacturing process of the molds 1a and 1b, for example, the flow rate of the ultraviolet curable resin material and the curing speed of the material depending on the thermal conductivity can be changed, so the hardness of the molds 1a and 1b can be changed. can. Furthermore, the adhesion to the material of the molded article 30, that is, the gel material, can also be adjusted.

Hard parts such as the blood vessel 52 may be shaped or molded using a method other than a 3D printer, but there are great advantages to using a 3D printer. For example, by combining an ultraviolet curing resin material used as a modeling material for a 3D printer and an inkjet 3D printer, materials with different physical properties can be modeled in one go. For example, even for a single object, the color, hardness, or surface friction coefficient can be changed depending on the part. Note that more than 500,000 colors can be set. Furthermore, a hollow shape of a hard part such as the blood vessel 52 can be realized.

The molds 1a and 1b are formed by forming a layer of a photocurable resin material such as an ultraviolet curable resin material one layer at a time, and by repeating the operation of irradiating ultraviolet rays each time to harden the resin material, the resin material layer is gradually formed. Printing, or modeling, three-dimensional shapes. However, the molds 1a and 1b are not limited to those made of such a resin material. For example, the molds 1a and 1b can be formed using a 3D printer using a resin material containing metal powder as a modeling material, and once a mold made of the resin material is made, Thereafter, the resin material is fired and the metal powder is sintered to make a metal mold and can be used.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of resin materials having different physical properties are combined for forming molds 1a and 1b formed using a 3D printer, and one selected from thermal conductivity, surface roughness, hardness, or elasticity is used. The above was adjusted for each site. However, in addition to this, one or more factors selected from color, surface roughness, water absorption, surface temperature, impact resistance, viscosity, and adhesion may be adjusted.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, one or more factors selected from gel fluidity, curing speed, or surface roughness were adjusted depending on the site. However, in addition to this, the water content etc. may be adjusted.

In this embodiment, when arranging the resin materials of the molds 1a and 1b, a plurality of sections are set in which each part is partitioned by a three-dimensional shape (S5). A plurality of sections are set (S22). However, if there is a method other than setting a plurality of sections partitioned into three-dimensional shapes when arranging a plurality of types of resin materials on a modeled object, that method may be adopted.

In this embodiment, for example, the hardness of parts of the organ model that should not be cut with a scalpel or the like and parts that can be cut can be changed. This is because the 3D printer used in this embodiment has a function that allows a plurality of resin materials having different physical properties including hardness to be placed at predetermined positions. For example, if a vein must never be cut during surgery, an organ model is created in which the vein is made harder than other parts. Then, when a scalpel or the like hits a vein during a surgical operation, the sensation of "hardness" is transmitted to the surgeon through the scalpel, etc., making it a suitable organ model for surgical practice.

FIG. 10 is a modification of the present embodiment, and shows a blood vessel 52 of a liver organ model.If a thin blood vessel portion 52b or the like is cut with a scalpel or the like, a blood-colored cross section 55 is exposed. It was difficult to create such a device in conventional organ models, but the 3D printer according to this embodiment has a function that allows multiple resin materials of different colors to be placed at predetermined positions. This makes it easy to create such a device. With such a device, if the thin blood vessel portion 52b is accidentally cut with a scalpel or the like, the surgeon can be made aware of the fact. Note that such a device that exposes the blood-colored cross section 55 may be applied to the thick trunk 52a of the blood vessel 52.

1a, 1b mold

Claims (2)

A surgery in which a 3D printer is used to place multiple resin materials with different physical properties, including hardness , in predetermined positions, and parts that must never be cut during surgery are made harder than other parts. A method for producing organ models for practice . 2. The method of manufacturing an organ model for surgical practice according to claim 1, wherein the modeling is performed in one modeling step .