Producing a three-dimensional model of an implant

Abstract

Determining a shape of a medical device to be implanted into a subject produces an image including a defective portion and a non-defective portion of a surface of a tissue of interest included in the subject. The tissue of interest is segmented within the image. A template, representing a normative shape of an external anatomical surface of the tissue of interest, is superimposed to span the defective portion. An external shape of an implant, is determined as a function of respective shapes of the defective portion as seen in the template, for repairing the defective portion.

1 . A three-dimensional medical device comprising:
 an outer surface having a shape corresponding to a deformed three-dimensional template,   wherein the deformed three-dimensional template is formed by deforming a three-dimensional template representing a normative shape of an anatomical surface of a target tissue, wherein the target tissue comprises a portion with a defect and a portion without a defect,   wherein the three-dimensional template representing a normative shape of an anatomical surface of a target tissue is deformed to a computer-generated three-dimensional representation rendered from the image data of the target tissue.   
     
     
         2 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the target tissue with the defect is a missing segment of bony structure. 
     
     
         3 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the outer surface fits within the missing segment of bony structure. 
     
     
         4 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the outer surface fits precisely within the missing segment of bony structure. 
     
     
         5 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the target tissue with the defect comprises soft tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface comprises three-dimensional printed material. 
     
     
         7 . A three-dimensional model for use in fabricating an implantable medical device, the model comprising:
 an outer surface having a shape corresponding to a deformed three-dimensional template,   wherein the deformed three-dimensional template is formed by deforming a three-dimensional template representing a normative shape of an anatomical surface of a target tissue, wherein the target tissue comprises a portion with a defect and a portion without a defect,   wherein the three-dimensional template representing a normative shape of an anatomical surface of a target tissue is deformed to a computer-generated three-dimensional representation rendered from the image data of the target tissue.   
     
     
         8 . The three-dimensional model of  claim 7 , wherein the portion of the target tissue with the defect is a missing segment of bony structure. 
     
     
         9 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 8 , wherein the outer surface fits within the missing segment of bony structure. 
     
     
         10 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 8 , wherein the outer surface fits precisely within the missing segment of bony structure. 
     
     
         11 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the target tissue with the defect comprises soft tissue. 
     
     
         12 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 7 , wherein the outer surface comprises three-dimensional printed material. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 obtaining the model according to  claim 7 ; and   
       fabricating the implantable medical device based on the model. 
     
     
         14 . A three-dimensional medical device comprising:
 an outer surface configured to drop-in to a missing segment of bony structure,   wherein the body fits precisely within contours of the missing segment,   wherein the body is fabricated based on a determined three-dimensional shape of the medical device, which is determined by deforming a computer-generated three-dimensional template to a computer-generated three-dimensional representation,   wherein the computer-generated three-dimensional representation is rendered from image data of target tissue, which includes tissue surrounding the missing segment of bony structure that defines the contours of the missing segment, and   wherein the three-dimensional template represents a normative shape of an anatomical surface of the target tissue.   
     
     
         15 . The three-dimensional medical device of  claim 14 , wherein the body comprises three-dimensional printed material. 
     
     
         16 . The three-dimensional device of  claim 14 , wherein the three-dimensional device is a model of an implant.