USP’s Segmenta Project Revolutionizes Health Sector with 3D Models of Human Anatomy
The Segmenta Project, developed by USP professors in partnership with several institutions, emerged with a proposal to assist the teaching of people with visual impairments through the production of anatomical models in three-dimensional format. The initiative, created in October 2023, is coordinated by Paulo Eduardo Capel Cardoso, professor at the Faculty of Dentistry (FO) at USP in the Department of Biomaterials and Oral Biology. He has low vision and decided to use 3D printing materials to help other people in the same situation.
“The Segmenta Project uses high-generation computed tomography to print 3D skull models. These models allow people with visual impairments to have tactile access to these pieces that reproduce the bones of the head for educational purposes. The person has the opportunity to get to know the limbs of the face and head, and this is very important for those with low vision”, explains Lúcia Maria Ramos, coordinator of the Learning and Innovation Resource Center (Crai) and member of the project.
By providing a physical representation of cranial structures, the project brings new possibilities for the understanding and exploration of the human body by people with visual impairments, providing a richer and more detailed tactile experience. Thiago Beaini, group participant and professor at the Faculty of Dentistry at the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) emphasizes the importance of this initiative. “People with low vision can feel the figure, each bone, feel the contours,” he explains.
The initiative is the result of a partnership between Crai, the Institute of Orthodontic Documentation and Radiodiagnosis (Indor), the Faculty of Dentistry at UFU, the Inst
Three-dimensional impressions are made from computed tomography images. To make the print, the images are segmented and transformed into virtual objects. The segmentation action gave the project its name. “ Segmenting means removing a structure from the tomography. You can remove a specific structure and form the 3D model. The segmentation process consists of viewing the computed tomography and identifying what is a bone, muscle, tooth, soft tissue, creating a 3D model from this information and then materializing it, through printing”, explains Beaini about the process in which the skull is subdivided into separate file structures, which will be 3D printed.
According to Professor Paulo Capel, three-dimensional printing can take hours to complete, but there are some alternatives, such as the use of a laser sintering machine, which has a higher cost.
Teachers developed Braille signs containing the identification and description of the printed material. According to Fábio Siviero, professor at ICB, “the idea is to create tactile captions for the models to facilitate reading and identification of the structures. This caption is printed with 3D braille technology, so that people with low vision or blindness can read and recognize the structure represented. We include the name and small explanatory texts. We also prepared the audio description of the piece, made available in a QR code , making it easier to understand.”
In addition to impressions of normal anatomical models, the group also makes structures with injuries. An example given by Paulo Capel was the exhibition of prototypes of pathologies, such as a jaw with ameloblastoma, an odontogenic tumor. The jaw was reconstructed in 3D and exhibited at the 1st Bengala Verde Brasil Immersive Event , in which the project participated.
Models were also made without injuries and pathologies, so that people could compare and understand the differences. The pieces produced by the group are exhibited at Crai, at the Faculty of Dentistry.
In addition to the human anatomy models, the coordinator says that the project also intends to expand the area of activity with the inclusion of a professor from the USP Institute of Oceanography. “We want to bring in a specialist in cetaceans, whales and dolphins. Our goal is to print the bone structure of dolphins so that people can touch these skeletons, so we will also expand the project to the area of marine biology”, he informs.
The proposal is to use the structures produced for teaching students with visual impairments, but not only. According to the coordinator, anyone can have access to the digital images and print the models. In this way, they can be used both by health professionals and in more basic teaching situations, such as schools and universities.