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. 2020 Jan 16;10(1):502.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-57537-2.

Three-Dimensional Printing of the Nasal Cavities for Clinical Experiments

Olli Valtonen  1   2 , Jaakko Ormiskangas  3 , Ilkka Kivekäs  4   3 , Ville Rantanen  3 , Marc Dean  5   6 , Dennis Poe  7 , Jorma Järnstedt  8 , Jukka Lekkala  3 , Pentti Saarenrinne  9 , Markus Rautiainen  4   3
Affiliations

Three-Dimensional Printing of the Nasal Cavities for Clinical Experiments

Olli Valtonen et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

3D printing has produced many beneficial applications for surgery. The technique´s applicability in replicating nasal cavity anatomy for clinical use has not been studied. Our aim was to determine whether 3D printing could realistically replicate the nasal cavities and the airflow passing through them from a clinical point of view. We included Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scans of five patients with symptoms of chronic nasal congestion. These CBCT scans were used to print plastic 3D prints of the nasal cavities, which were also CBCT scanned and the measurements were compared. The results in vivo were higher than the results in vitro in maxillary sinus volumes with a ratio of 1.05 ± 0.01 (mean ± SD) and in the nasal cavities with a ratio of 1.20 ± 0.1 (mean ± SD). Linear measurements in vitro were very close to those in vivo. Rhinomanometric results showed some differences, but rhinomanometric graphs in vitro were close to the graphs in vivo. 3D printing proved to be a suitable and fast method for replicating nasal cavity structures and for the experimental testing of nasal function. It can be used as a complementary examination tool for rhinomanometry.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Linear measurements of the nose. Above: Septum length (A) and at the first endpoint of the nasal septum both nasal cavity height and width (B) in patient CBCT scans. Below: Similar measurements in the corresponding 3D print scans (C,D).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Corresponding results in vivo and in vitro. Above: Axial CBCT image (A) from a patient and rhinomanometry (B) from the same patient. Below: Corresponding CBCT image (C) and rhinomanometry (D) from the 3D print.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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