To enhance the MRI experience and increase the likelihood of returning for follow-up appointments, I developed a workflow to turn structural T1 images into 3D models, providing participants with a memorable and tangible representation of their scan.
3D Model - Workflow
Here’s how a brain is 3d-printed:
T1-weighted images (as shown on the left) are converted from DICOM to NIfTI format.
To extract brain issues from the skull, the NIfTI images are preprocessed using FreeSurfer package. It outputs pial surfaces (as shown in the middle).
The pial surfaces are then refined and smoothed using MeshLab.
Wait for the 3D printer to print out the brain.
After a few hours, a unique brain is created (as shown on the right).