Two days of lectures by representatives of the industry, as well as clinical and academic speakers, presentations by the Mimics Innovation Awards winners, ground-breaking case studies, the latest innovations in additive medical technologies, etc. will make you get to know all new features and clinical applications of the software. You will meet your colleagues and experts in the field in a sensational setting.

Click on the presentation title to view the abstract.

Main session - Thursday April 22

Join us for a walking dinner after the conference and take the opportunity to network with your peers in a relaxed atmosphere. After the evening event a bus will take you to Leuven city center.

FEA session - Friday April 23

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Jos Vander Sloten, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium


Join us for a drink after the conference and take the opportunity to network with your peers in a relaxed atmosphere. Afterwards, a bus will take you to Leuven city center.

The Materialise World Conference also includes the fourth Rapid Impant Manufacturing Forum on April 23.

 Registrations are closed

 Abstracts Main Session Thursday April 22

Wilfried Vancraen
CEO Materialise

20 years Materialise: past, present and future

Abstract not available yet.

Aidan Chopra and John Bacus
Google SketchUp, USA 

If a picture's worth a thousand words, what's a model worth?

Everyone agrees that the future of visualization is 3D -- there's simply no better way to communicate spatial information than spatially. Democratic tools like SketchUp and Google Earth are helping laypeople to understand this, but 3D remains a challenging hurdle for most. The difficulty lies on two fronts: the creation of 3D content and the means by which we interact with it. Making a model and showing it off should be as easy as taking a picture and passing it around. What do we need to do to make 3D as ubiquitous as other forms of media?

Tim Clijmans
Mobelife, Belgium

Image-Based Patient-Specific Orthopaedic Health Care 

The use of 3D image processing and pre-operative planning in orthopedics provides all tools and possibilities to facilitate medical diagnosis, simulate virtual surgeries, optimize surgical procedures, improve surgical outcome, reduce surgery time and elongate implant life time. Nevertheless, equilibrium between preoperative effort and postoperative outcome should be sought for on a case-specific basis. Furthermore, coupled 3D finite element modeling allows for stress simulations which are of utmost importance in complex orthopedic disorders. A skilled biomedical engineer can assist the surgeon for such purpose.
The use of image processing software (Mimics, Materialise NV, Belgium), preoperative planning software (SurgiCase Orthopaedics, Materialise, Belgium), computer aided design software (3-matic, Materialise NV, Belgium) and finite element software (Abaqus Inc, USA) is integrated into an efficient pre-operative workflow by means of data exchange and dedicated software development for efficient patient-specific surgery planning and/or implant design.
The potential of 3D imaging and pre-operative planning is illustrated by several clinical cases in the field of orthopedics and traumatology such as shoulder joint replacement, clavicular malunion, acetabular revision surgery and acetabular fractures. Where appropriate, patient-specific guides and implants were designed for these cases.
Preoperative image-based 3D planning software is helpful to orthopedic surgeons in planning a complex operation more accurately, improving clinical outcome and reducing associated health care costs.

Prof. Hans Van Oosterwyck
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Optimizing The Micro-Environment In A Tissue Engineering Scaffold: A Computational Approach 

One of the major challenges in tissue engineering is the translation of biological knowledge on complex cell and tissue behavior into a predictive and robust engineering process. Mastering this complexity is an essential step towards clinical applications of tissue engineering. Computational modeling can contribute to this, among others because it allows studying the biological complexity in a more quantitative way. More specifically computational tools can help in

• quantifying micro-environmental signals to which cells and tissues are exposed
• optimizing these signals, e.g. by adapting carrier and bioreactor design and
• predicting a certain biological response, based on these signals.

Priv. Doz. Dr. med. L. Kovacs
Technischen Universität München, Germany

Three-Dimensional Visualization In Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery After Oncologic Procedures/Interventions

Purpose: In the last years precise three-dimensional (3-D) tumor detection and localization for oncologic purposes increased by improved image reconstruction algorithms. Especially plastic and reconstructive surgeons benefit from the implementation of modern 3-D imaging techniques in the field of computed assisted surgery. But existing 3-D imaging techniques and software algorithms are limited concerning preoperative surgical planning. Aim of this work is to present the potential clinical application of computer aided 3-D surgical planning tools for reconstructive oncologic surgical procedures.

Material and Methods: The clinical application of 3-D oncologic visualization methods to support the surgical reconstruction planning is demonstrated in several cases. Virtual 3-D models of the affected anatomical region were created using different 3-D imaging technologies and advantages, disadvantages and limitations of each method regarding objective surgical planning tools were analyzed.

Results: 3-D visualization defines the exact tumor expansion before surgical excision and preoperatively quantifies the resulting soft-tissue defect to be reconstructed, but do not consider the biomechanical properties of the human tissue. The necessity for 3-D numerical computer simulation models which implements physical parameters (soft-tissue elasticity, stress conditions etc.) to simulate the resulting soft-tissue deformation is immense. First approaches can be found in the field of finite element method calculating biomechanical processes with the aid of 3-D numerical simulation models.

Conclusion: Surgical reconstruction of complex defects profits by 3-D visualization techniques at this stage. But a supportive dynamic simulation of the aspired postoperative surgical result would close the existing gap between the 3-D diagnostic level and the surgical therapy of actual oncologic treatment in terms of an interdisciplinary curative approach.

Paolo Cattaneo, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Aarhus University, Denmark

The Use Of Mimics In The Orthodontics Field 

Since 2000, Mimics has been the tool of choice for the research projects that were carried out at our department within the field of dentistry and more specifically applied to orthodontics. Our need was to work with data obtained from different sources like CT-scans, MRI, micro-CT, and lately CBCT. Mimics was used to import different data-sets, the output ranging from generation of simple 3D objects to the generation of multiple masks to represent complex anatomical structures, which eventually would serve as a skeleton for the generation of Finite Element models.
Among the many applications, the following will be presented:

• Visualization of cortical bone structures with Haversian canal structures & osteocyte lacunae;
• Generation of sample-specific FE-models of alveolar bone samples to simulate orthodontic tooth movements;
• Generation of sample-specific FE-models of alveolar bone where dental implants were inserted: this research was done in order to quantify and correlate bone (re)modeling around loaded dental implants in relation to direction and type of loading;
• Assessment of changes in load transfer across the temporomandibular region before, during and after vertical distraction of the mandibular ramus with a 3D FE-model.
• Orthognathic surgery simulation & generation of the relative splints to be used during surgery;
• Correlation of linear measurements (sagittal and transversal), cross-sectional areas, and volumes of the upper airway determined on CBCT data-sets;
• Generation of FE-models of orthodontic mini-screws.

Ir. Koen Peeters
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Patient-Specific, CT-Based Modeling of Ankle Kinematics with in Vitro Validation

Lara Vigneron, M.Sc., Ph.D
Materialise, Belgium

Mimics Innovation Suite in Innovative Orthopaedic Research

Abstract not available

Koen Engelborghs, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Market Dept. Manager Biomedical R&D, Materialise Belgium

Mimics Innovation Suite: Total Solution For Biomedical R&D

In this talk we give an overview of the Mimics Innovation Suite. The Suite consists of three pillars. On the one hand there is the software package Mimics which allows to process, segment and edit stacks of 2D image data (such CT, micro-CT, MRI). Secondly, there is the software package 3-matic which is a design & preprocessing software dedicated to working directly on anatomical data. Together with services, the Suite combines to a total solution for biomedical research & development as it allows to implement in the most efficient & accurate way complex engineering, simulation & validation projects and to link to downstream applications such as standard CAD, CAM and CAE packages. We demonstrate the benefits with a number of example applications and conclude with an outlook on future developments.

Abstracts FEA Session - Friday April 23 

Koen Engelborghs, MSc., Ph.D.
 Product Specialist Mimics, Materialise Belgium

Engineering On Anatomy; FEA For Better Patient Care

Personalization of patient care is a growing trend. Supported by the advancements in medical imaging (CT, MRI), virtual surgery planning and patient-specific implants are quickly finding their way to the operating room. Supporting this trend are biomedical engineers, who have the skill to bring engineering to clinical practice. An important engineering application is finite element analysis and ever more doctors are realizing the potential impact FEA can have to revolutionize patient care. FEA allows one to select the most effective treatment and helps to discard other treatments. It can reduce time-to-patient by enabling virtual design iterations. It is invaluable in optimizing the longevity of implants or the performance of medical devices and FEA could even impact the doctor’s decision in coming to the best diagnosis. The increasing clinical importance of FEA is already evident from the program we have today and also from the yearly submissions to the Mimics Innovation Awards. Case studies in a variety of areas will be highlighted to show the state-of-the-art in clinical engineering.

Dr. med. Dr. med. dent. Lars Bonitz
University of Witten Dortmund, Germany

Optimization Of Surgical Approaches In Maxillofacial Surgery With The Use Of FEA

High degrees of standardization in oral and maxillofacial surgery are prerequisites for their predictability. Often there are various modifications of surgical procedures. The surgical procedure have to be valid and objectively. The FEA allows a simulation of surgical results under known boundary conditions while surgical planning. So different, individual options can be calculated and compared for optimization of surgical approaches, bone dissection and position of osteosynthesis. We performed this procedure for a surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME). In 19 patient cases with constriction of transversal maxillary diameter we increased the space in upper jaw. In SARME it is necessary to disconnect bone structures in the Le Fort I plane, the median palatal plane and the pterygo-maxillary bone in various kinds of extension. In the literature, different methods of osteotomy are described. We analyzed a method with complete osteotomy of all bone structures and modifications with partial osteotomy to evaluate the optimal kind of osteotomy with minimal surgical trauma and maximal reduction of stress vectors while distraction.

With CT- scans of the patient skulls we performed a FEA. The final volumetric mesh contains about 300000 nodes. The stress vectors were positioned in the middle of the palatal floor based on a bone borne distraction device and limited the expansion with 4.5mm to each side. For FEA we used ANSYS 12.0. All of the 19 patients were evaluated in the facts of expansion diameter, intervention time, swelling, and infections. Symmetry and diameter of expansion we demonstrate with a 3D surgical analysis.

Results of the FEA demonstrated clearly, that minimal stress vectors based on a maximal extension of the osteotomy. Complete osteotomy of all bone structures forced a high trauma for hard and soft tissue with the possibility of increase post surgical complications. The value of von Mises stress in all cases was about 100MPa. Selective osteotomy of bone areas with high primary stress vectors, such as paranasal, zygomatic- alveolar, pterygo-maxillar and median palatal can significantly reduce the surgical trauma, while limiting the increase of stress vectors to 250MPa during the expansion. Only one patient was observed with an infection after surgical intervention and one patient with an asymmetrical expansion. The intervention time we evaluate with about 39 minutes.

Five days after surgical procedure the swelling values were nearly the same as before the procedure. FEA analysis is able to validate surgical procedures like SARME and leads to the optimization of surgical interventions. 

Prof. Patrick Segers
IBiTech-bioMMeda (Ghent University), Belgium

Image-Based CFD And FEA Modeling Tools For Problem Solving In Biomedical Engineering

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and/or structural mechanical models (finite element analysis; FEA) have become indispensible research tools in biomechanically oriented cardiovascular research. Most often, the input of these computer models is based on 3D reconstructions of medical images acquired in the patient. Three cases are presented demonstrating the important role these computational models can play for the development and optimization of medical devices (coronary bifurcation stents), medical imaging modalities (simulation of vascular ultrasound imaging) and optimization of transplant organ perfusion (hypothermic machine perfusion of the liver).

• We developed a FEM toolkit (Abaqus, Simulia) which allows to simulate the complete stenting procedure, including catheter placement, balloon and stent deployment in a patient-specific geometrical (and multi-layer anisotropic wall) model of coronary bifurcations; 
• We have developed a multi-physics computational framework, applied to the carotid artery, which allows us to generate synthetic raw ultrasound data and ultrasound images from physiological 3D CFD-computations (Fluent, Ansys); 
• We generated highly detailed digital 3D information on the vascular liver topology via segmentation (Mimics, Materialize) of µCT-scans of two human liver vascular corrosion casts. Data were used to construct a 1D network model of the blood flow in the liver, which allows assessing intra-hepatic hemodynamics and optimization of perfusion protocols.

Dr.-Ing. Marcus Hormes
Helmholtz Institute Aachen, Germany

Of Blood Flow Analysis And Implant Design: Materialise In Cardiovascular Engineering


The Department of Applied Medical Engineering develops artificial cardiovascular devices like rotary and pulsatile blood pumps, heart valves, oxygenators and cannulas for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The effect on the physiological environment is analyzed by CFD and CAE techniques. CT/MRI scans are used to extract the physical geometries of the cardiovascular system which were used in several projects.

• CFD studies of the beating heart require anatomical data of the left ventricle geometry, which were extracted for different time steps of the heart cycle. These geometries will be used as wall movement boundary conditions in the numerical simulation.
• The influence of different cannula positions during CPB and the impact on cerebral perfusion was analyzed (CFD). To validate the numerical results a 3D-model of the cardiovascular system was generated by rapid prototyping (Objet Eden), and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed.
• Digital fitting studies of artificial devices can be undertaken for individual patient anatomies. Thus, design optimization like the adaption of inlets and outlets of blood pumps is no longer limited to cadaver studies. 

Dipl.-Ing. Esmeralda Forausbergher
BMGO, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Vibration Analysis Of The Human Skull: A Parametric Study

Abstract not available

Dipl.-Ing. Borut Strazisar
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

From Medical Imaging To Patient Specific Airway Model – CFD Simulation Of The Human Upper Respiratory Tract

Primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are sleep-related breathing disorders with the same pathogenesis but different levels of symptom severity and influence on general health. OSA is characterized by breathing pauses, clinically measured by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which indicates the number of complete (apnea) or partial (hypopnea) upper airway obstruction per hour. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was used to model the effect of human upper respiratory tract (URT) geometry on internal pressure. The 3D model was reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained in awake adults with OSAS, snoring problems and control patients. The Materialise MIMICS software was used for segmentation of images. The threshold limits used were defined by the user to minimize geometrical error. The 3D model was simplified in the regions of sinus frontalis, sinus sphenoidalis, sinus ethmoidalis and sinus maxillaries, which were removed to reduce storage requirements and simulation time. The 3D stereo-lithography airway model was used to create surface mesh in Materialise 3-Matic software, which was the base for the creation of polyhedral (tetrahedral) volume mesh. The numerical simulations assuming steady incompressible air flow were carried out with Ansys Fluent CFD software with different turbulence models. The results for patients with OSAS show a strong correlation between pharyngeal narrowing and pressure drop. The secondary flow circulation close to the larynx opening indicates possible induction of soft tissue and epiglottis vibrations.

Dr. Ir. Jan De Backer

CEO FluidDA nv, Belgium

Functional Imaging Using Computer Methods To Face The Unmet Need In Respiratory Drug Development

Today the cost for the development of new medication increases while the number of registered products declines. Recent studies have shown that the development of a respiratory drug is the most expensive one with an average cost of over 1 billion dollar! This presentation illustrates how the need for this large investment can be attributed to the lack of sensitive outcome parameters. The gold standard lung function tests such as spirometry and body plethysmography consider the respiratory function as a black box. Consequently no or very limited information is available on the local characteristics. Functional imaging using computer methods is an alternative, which provides a large amount of patient specific information. By using CT images in combination with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) an outcome parameter could be obtained which is highly sensitive to detect clinically relevant changes. This presentation describes some of the clinical studies that illustrate this by assessing the bronchodilating capabilities of new inhalation medication. From these examples it becomes clear that by using additional regional information, the mode of action of the product and the subsequent clinical outcome can be better assessed after which the treatment can be optimized. In addition some examples of the pre-clinical use (animal studies and device design) of the technique is described to demonstrate how the common denominator in the process, i.e. functional imaging can assist in optimizing the structure of the drug development cycle and potentially reduce the cost.

Dawid Larysz MD, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

Giullaume Dubois

OBL Paris, France

Using Mimics For The Mechanical Assessment Of A Micro-Screw Designed For Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery
 

Many procedures used in craniomaxillofacial surgery require the use of micro screws. Indeed, they are needed for ostheosynthesis in a wide range of indications such traumatology, congenital malformations and particularly orthognatic surgery. From a technological point of view, the scope statement of this kind of screw includes various points. Among them, mechanical strength is a real challenge as these devices can be subjected to significant forces and present typical dimensions less than one millimeter. Especially, failures can sometimes be encountered during the mounting phase. In order to address this question, a mechanical study of surgical micro screws was carried out. Besides specific mechanical tests, microCT-scans of samples were achieved and explored using Mimics. After dimensional check, elastic-plastic finite element calculations were achieved with automatic Mimics meshing. These analyses allow firstly to assess the mechanical strength of the micro-screws and to compare different machining strategies. Finally they also enabled to create a diagnostic tool in order to be able to estimate the origin of potential screw failures.

Dr. Silvia Schievano

UCL Institute of Child Health & Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, UK

An Engineering Approach To Study Percutaneous Valve Implantation


Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is an innovative, successful alternative to open-heart surgery for the treatment of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) dysfunction. However, this minimally-invasive procedure is available only to a limited group of patients with very specific anatomy. Image processing software Mimics (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium), together with rapid prototyping (RP) technology and finite element (FE) analyses, were used in this study to improve the success of PPVI and ultimately to broaden the range of patients suitable for this procedure.

Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of patients’ RVOTs, derived from magnetic resonance (MR) data, was performed to assess the implantation site anatomy. A morphological classification was created to analyse the criteria for PPVI subject selection and to outline the design and mechanical requirements for the next generation of PPVI devices. Physical models of the RVOTs from patients with borderline anatomy were built using the RP technique. These models were proven to provide a complete appreciation of the 3D anatomy and aided patient selection for PPVI more accurately than MR images. Moreover, they enabled trial implantation of devices to test their deployment and anchoring force in the RVOT. The finite element (FE) method was used to model different stents (current PPVI stent and new possible stent designs, made of multi-element stents or nitinol material) to evaluate their mechanical performance, risk of fracture, and optimise the design of the next generation PPVI device. Furthermore, FE inflation of these stents into selected RVOT models allowed for the evaluation of the stresses induced in the RVOT wall by the deployment of the device and in the stents in-situ. Ultimately, finite element analyses may aid the optimisation of the stent to be employed in the next generation PPVI device.