Method and apparatus for generating pelvic model
OwnerPeter J. Wilk, Mitchell N. Essiginventors
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Abstract
A medical method comprises the steps of scanning a female patient in a pelvic region to obtain electrically encoded data specifying the patient's pelvic structure, stacking a series of transparent sheets, and during the step of stacking, depositing a hardenable opaque liquid substance on the sheets in accordance with the electrically encoded data to form a three-dimensional model of the patient's pelvic structure. Also during the step of stacking, the liquid substance is subjected, upon deposition thereof on the sheets, to an energy tending to cure the liquid substance. The sheets are bonded to one another to form a substantially unitary body incorporating the model.
Claims20
A method for use in medical diagnosis and treatment, comprising the steps of:
- scanning a female patient in a pelvic region to obtain electrically encoded data specifying the patient's pelvic structure;
- in accordance with said electrically encoded data, depositing a hardenable opaque liquid substance on a series of transparent sheets such that, upon a stacking of said sheets and a hardening of said liquid substance, a three-dimensional model of the patient's pelvic structure is generated;
- subjecting said liquid substance, upon deposition thereof on said sheets, to an energy tending to cure said liquid substance;
- stacking said sheets;
- and
- bonding said sheets to one another to form a substantially unitary body incorporating said model.
A medical device comprising:
- scanning means for generating electrically encoded data pertaining to a patient's pelvic structure;
- stacking means for stacking a series of transparent sheets;
- deposition means for depositing a hardenable opaque liquid substance on said sheets;
- curing means juxtaposed to said sheets for exposing said liquid substance, upon deposition thereof on said sheets, to a curing energy;
- and
- control means operatively connected to said scanning means, said deposition means and said stacking means for sequencing the deposition of said liquid substance on said sheets and the stacking of said sheets in conformity with said electrically encoded data from said scanning means to generate a three-dimensional model of said pelvic structure of the patient.
A medical method, comprising the steps of:
- scanning a female patient in a pelvic region to obtain electrically encoded data specifying the patient's pelvic structure;
- stacking a series of transparent sheets;
- during said step of stacking, depositing a hardenable opaque liquid substance on said sheets in accordance with said electrically encoded data to form a three-dimensional model of the patient's pelvic structure;
- also during said step of stacking, subjecting said liquid substance, upon deposition thereof on said sheets, to an energy tending to cure said liquid substance;
- and
- bonding said sheets to one another to form a substantially unitary body incorporating said model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.