3D Printing My Skull

[Mezoforta]

I'm trying to 3d print my own skull just for fun and well I have the DCOM file but every time when I try and convert it the whole skull doesn't come out. Whenever I convert the DCOM file any of them it only gives me from the top do about the middle of the eye socket and i want the whole thing. Can someone please help me and tell me what i might be doing wrong.

[kopachini]

Probably, your DICOM data is from CT or MR study of your brain, right?

Anyhow, in that case only neurocranium (upper part of the skull) containing the brain was part of the interest in the performed study, so viscerocranium (face) wasn't in the region of the interest (ROI), therefore there is no part of the skull below the middle of the orbit in your DICOM data.

Unless you have had trauma and whole head was scanned, than I am not sure what is the problem (maybe damaged DICOM files...)

[Mezoforta]

No there was no trauma to the whole skull so yeah that must of been it. Do you know anything about vol files. 

[kopachini]

10 hours ago, Mezoforta said:

Do you know anything about vol files. 

1

 Not much... if you want to make a model from 3D US it depends on who's US machine you are using (there was a problem with GE machines and their Kretz file but thanks to @Andras Lasso  he managed to overcome this problem in 3D Slicer).

Go to 3D Slicer forum and you will learn how to open and make 3D model from .vol type of files.

[Mezoforta]

I tried doing what his post said and didn't get the results as stated. I tried contacting Lasso directly but was unable to make contact.

[kopachini]

what is the model of the 3D US?
I was able to do model from GE and probably could do it from Siemens Acuson x3000 (I didn't have proper volume, it was my kidney not fetal face  ).

I tried from Philips US but also didn't acquired right volume (cardiologist didn't know how to do it) and I didn't have much time to read the manual of the machine.

[valchanov]

Hi

I'll try to walk you through this:
1. First of all, install a proper dicom viewer. You can install Radiant for free and activate it with trial license, which you can renew unlimited times.
2. Open the program, drag and drop the whole DICOM set and observe the series. There is a good volume rendering, multiplanar reconstruction and all the measurement tools you can possibly want. So, choose the series, which suits you best - probably the one with the thinnest slides.
3. Check for pictures in the series, which are not supposed to be there. Sometimes some lazy radiologists are exporting the histiogram directly in the series, which disturbs the sequence algorithm of the medical informatics program, which you'll use later.
4. Export the set - export-"current series"-"dicom". Choose a folder and hit "export".
5. Load the set in 3D Slicer and use dr. Mike's basic tutorial. It's still one of the best tutorials. I myself prefer the segmentation editor module, but the basic editor is still a powerful tool. Make sure to remove "single file", when you're loading the set!
6. If the CT scan is with 2mm thickness or better, you'll have your skull in no time, ready for 3d printing.

I hope this will help. Thumbs up.