A team of doctors in a hospital in central China's Hunan Province successfully 3D printed the model of the nidus of a patient infected with the coronavirus on Monday.
Compared with computed tomography (CT) images that are two dimensional, 3D models offer a more vivid reconstruction of a patient's arteries, veins and bronchi, which can be of great help in clinical therapy, according to He Yucheng, a doctor with Chenzhou No. 1 People's Hospital and the head of the team.
The model was printed based on the imaging data of a patient surnamed Long, who was confirmed to have been infected with the virus on Feb. 7 and admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital four days later.
"After acquiring the data of the model by using 3D reconstruction of the CT images, the full-color lifesize model was printed out," He said, adding that the most difficult part in the process was the imaging reconstruction and angiography of bronchi.
"In terms of offering guidance, the 3D printed lung model can be likened to the 3D terrain model used in a war," said He. "It can be viewed from all angles and taken to a group consultation."
"By using the model, doctors can better understand the development of patients' lung diseases and provide them with more customized follow-up treatment plans," said He.
