Methods and systems for producing an implant

Abstract

A computer implemented method for determining the 3-dimensional shape of an implant to be implanted into a subject includes obtaining a computer readable image including a defective portion and a non-defective portion of tissue in the subject, superimposing on the image a shape to span the defective portion, and determining the 3-dimensional shape of the implant based on the shape that spans the defective portion.

1 . A computer implemented method for determining the 3-dimensional shape of an implant to be implanted into a subject, the method comprising:
 obtaining a computer readable image including a defective portion and a non-defective portion of tissue in the subject;   superimposing on the image a shape to span the defective portion; and   determining the 3-dimensional shape of the implant based on the shape that spans the defective portion.   
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shape that spans the defective portion is drawn on the image as the image is displayed by a computer. 
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shape that spans the defective portion is a right-left mirror image of a portion of the subject's anatomy that includes the defective portion. 
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the determining the 3-dimensional shape of the implant is determined as a function of respective shapes of the defective portion and the right-left mirror image. 
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shape that spans the defective portion in the subject is a template representing one of corresponding normal tissue in another subject and an average shape of corresponding normal tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the determining the 3-dimensional shape of the implant is determined as a function of respective shapes of the defective portion and the template. 
     
     
         7 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the superimposing on the image the shape to span the defective portion includes:
 mapping highly curved portions of surfaces of at least one of:
 the subject and another individual, 
 the subject and a first average, and 
 two or more individuals other than the subject to produce a second average; and 
   establishing correspondence between the mapped highly curved portions.   
     
     
         8 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable image consists of slices of the defective portion and the non-defective portion. 
     
     
         9 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable image consists of scan lines of the defective portion and the non-defective portion. 
     
     
         10 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable image consists of voxels of the defective portion and the non-defective portion. 
     
     
         11 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further including:
 determining a position for optimal adjacency between the implant and the non-defective portion of the subject.   
     
     
         12 . A system for determining a 3-dimensional shape of an implant to be implanted into a subject, the system comprising:
 a computer-readable medium having data representing an image including a defective portion and a non-defective portion of tissue in the subject;   a graphical user interface operable to superimpose on the image a shape to span the defective portion; and   a logic configured to determine the 3-dimensional shape of the implant based on the shape that spans the defective portion.   
     
     
         13 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the graphical user interface is further operable for a user to draw the shape that spans the defective portion onto the image. 
     
     
         14 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the shape that spans the defective portion is a right-left mirror image of a portion of the subject's anatomy that includes the defective portion. 
     
     
         15 . The system as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the determining the 3-dimensional shape of the implant is determined as a function of respective shapes of the defective portion and the right-left mirror image. 
     
     
         16 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the shape that spans the defective portion in the subject is a template representing one of corresponding normal tissue in another subject and an average shape of corresponding normal tissue. 
     
     
         17 . The system as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the determining the 3-dimensional shape of the implant is determined as a function of respective shapes of the defective portion and the template. 
     
     
         18 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a second logic configured to map highly curved portions of surfaces of at least one of:
 the subject and another individual, 
 the subject and a first average, and 
 two or more individuals other than the subject to produce a second average; and 
   establish correspondence between the mapped highly curved portions.   
     
     
         19 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the image consists of slices of the defective portion and the non-defective portion. 
     
     
         20 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the image consists of scan lines of the defective portion and the non-defective portion. 
     
     
         21 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the image consists of voxels of the defective portion and the non-defective portion. 
     
     
         22 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the logic is further configured to determine optimal adjacency between the implant and the non-defective portion of the subject.