Creating a 3D printable skull from a CT scan in 5 minutes using free software

How to create a 3D printable skull model in 5 minutes using free, open-source software, including 3D Slicer, Blender, and MeshMixer. Tutorial is available here http://goo.gl/enS7Br Full tutorial is available here http://goo.gl/G8KdmN Dr. Mike is here with a short tutorial that takes about 5 minutes to show viewers how to create a 3D printable skull from a CT scan using freeware. This is a condensed version of the full tutorial that contains detailed instructions of each step involved in transforming an ordinary CT scan file to a stunning 3D printed skull model. With this video, viewers will be able use a DICOM-based image from a CT scan to create an STL file that can be used for 3D printable medical models in a short amount of time. The first part of completing this conversion is done with 3D Slicer by slicer.org. Often used for medical imaging research, this software is free to download and essential for converting DICOM files to the STL format. Never leaving viewers in the dark, Dr. Mike provides guidance on modifying each setting in Slicer so users can obtain the best outcome when printing a 3D medical model. Once finished with Slicer, the STL files will then be opened with Blender. Another free program, Blender is often used for CGI animation. For this type of task, Blender can also be used for removing unwanted mesh islands caused by density issues, which optimizes the STL file to become a printable 3D medical model. The mesh imperfections and massive number of vertices composing the image are easily tamed with Dr. Mike’s expert guidance. Nearing the end of the process, users will then take their file to Meshmixer, a free program utilized in many of Dr. Mike’s tutorials. Meshmixer allows for final inspection of the object to be sent to a 3D printer to become a medical model. This analysis will reveal any flaws the 3D object may have that will need repairing. The skull used in this tutorial, which is available to download for free by members of embodi3D.com, is done correctly and ready for 3D printing! In just over 5 minutes, Dr. Mike provides the steps required for changing a DICOM CT scan image to an STL model ready to be printed into a 3D medical model skull. Anyone in need of more detailed instructions or those who just want in-depth explanations of the process should be sure to check out Dr. Mike’s full-length tutorial on this topic! With the information included in these videos, viewers will be ready to take on the challenges involved in printing 3D medical models from CT scan images!