R_Bibb_Medical_Modelling_The_Application_of_Adv.pdf

7.1 Background
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Future developments
Several areas of development combine the advantages of computer-aided
design (CAD), rapid prototyping (RP) and medical applications. Materials
development is progressing in RP, and this is opening up new opportunities
to use objects made by RP techniques directly in medical treatments or
to manufacture medical devices. For example, the direct manufacture of
hearing aid shells is currently being developed and marketed by more than
one medical device company.
The ability to process fully dense functional metals in RP machines is
also of particular interest in the manufacture of custom-designed implants.
Machines are already undergoing research in the application of materials
such as stainless steel, and the potential to employ titanium is seen by many
researchers as an excellent opportunity.
Tissue engineering is a fascinating area of development, and CAD and
RP approaches are being actively developed in many research centres to
facilitate the direct manufacture of custom fi tting tissue scaffolds or even
living tissue constructs. The potential to construct living tissue replacements
for damaged or missing organs and bones is challenging but may ultimately
reduce our dependence on organ donors and save many lives.
As can be seen, by considering the technological development discussed
below the future has a great deal of potential for everyone working in this
varied and challenging but, ultimately, highly rewarding fi eld.
7.2 Scanning techniques
Computed Tomography (CT) scanning continues to develop although this
tends to be incremental. More sensitive detectors are allowing X-ray doses
to be lowered whilst capturing more data at smaller pixel sizes. The use of
multiple arrays of detectors is drastically reducing scanning times. The
improving ability to collimate the X-ray beams is allowing much thinner