Scientists have collaborated to develop the worlds very first 3D-printed “brain phantom,” using a special magnetic resonance imaging strategy (dMRI) to model brain fibers. This improvement is intended at improving research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and several sclerosis by enhancing the accuracy of dMRI analysis software application through making use of these in-depth brain models.The brand-new model has the prospective to speed up research study into neurodegenerative diseases.In a joint task between MedUni Vienna and TU Wien, the worlds first 3D-printed “brain phantom” has actually been established, which is modelled on the structure of brain fibers and can be imaged using an unique variant of magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). As a clinical group led by MedUni Vienna and TU Wien has now revealed in a research study, these brain models can be used to advance research study into neurodegenerative illness such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and multiple sclerosis. The research work was published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an extensively used diagnostic imaging strategy that is mainly utilized to examine the brain. MRI can be used to examine the structure and function of the brain without making use of ionizing radiation. In a special version of MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI), the instructions of the nerve fibers in the brain can also be identified. It is extremely tough to correctly identify the direction of nerve fibers at the crossing points of nerve fiber packages, as nerve fibers with different instructions overlap there.In order to more enhance the process and test analysis and evaluation methods, a worldwide team in partnership with the Medical University of Vienna and TU Wien established a so-called “brain phantom”, which was produced utilizing a high-resolution 3D printing process.Tiny cube with microchannelsResearchers from the Medical University of Vienna as MRI professionals and TU Wien as 3D printing specialists worked carefully with coworkers from the University of Zurich and the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf. Back in 2017, a two-photon polymerization printer was developed at TU Wien that enables upscaled printing.In the course of this, work was also performed on brain phantoms as an usage case together with the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Zurich. The resulting patent forms the basis for the brain phantom that has now been established and is being monitored by TU Wiens Research and Transfer Support team.Visually, this phantom does not have much to do with a genuine brain. It is much smaller sized and has the shape of a cube. Inside it are incredibly fine, water-filled microchannels the size of individual cranial nerves. The diameters of these channels are five times thinner than a human hair. In order to imitate the fine network of afferent neuron in the brain, the research study group led by first authors Michael Woletz (Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, MedUni Vienna) and Franziska Chalupa-Gantner (3D Printing and Biofabrication research group, TU Wien) used a rather uncommon 3D printing technique: two-photon polymerization.This high-resolution method is mostly used to print microstructures in the nanometre and micrometer variety– not for printing three-dimensional structures in the cubic millimeter range. In order to develop phantoms of a suitable size for dMRI, the scientists at TU Wien have actually been dealing with scaling up the 3D printing process and making it possible for the printing of bigger things with high-resolution details. Extremely scaled 3D printing supplies the researchers with very good models that– when viewed under dMRI– make it possible to appoint different nerve structures.Michael Woletz compares this technique to improving the diagnostic capabilities of dMRI with the way a cellphone electronic camera works: “We see the best progress in photography with smart phone video cameras not always in brand-new, better lenses, however in the software that enhances the caught images. The situation is comparable with dMRI: utilizing the freshly developed brain phantom, we can adjust the analysis software application much more exactly and therefore improve the quality of the determined data and rebuild the neural architecture of the brain more accurately.” Brain phantom trains analysis softwareThe authentic reproduction of particular nerve structures in the brain is therefore essential for “training” the dMRI analysis software. The usage of 3D printing makes it possible to produce complex and varied designs that can be customized and personalized. The brain phantoms hence depict locations in the brain that generate especially complicated signals and are for that reason difficult to evaluate, such as converging nerve pathways.In order to adjust the analysis software, the brain phantom is therefore analyzed using dMRI, and the measured data is examined as in a genuine brain. Thanks to 3D printing, the design of the phantoms is exactly known and the outcomes of the analysis can be inspected. MedUni Vienna and TU Wien were able to show that this works as part of the joint research work. The phantoms developed can be utilized to enhance dMRI, which can benefit the preparation of operations and research into neurodegenerative illness such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and numerous sclerosis.Despite the evidence of principle, the group still faces obstacles. The most significant challenge at the minute is scaling up the method: “The high resolution of two-photon polymerization makes it possible to print details in the micro- and nanometre range and is for that reason very appropriate for imaging cranial nerves. At the same time, however, it takes a similarly very long time to print a cube a number of cubic centimeters in size using this technique,” discusses Chalupa-Gantner. “We are therefore not only aiming to establish a lot more intricate styles, however likewise to further enhance the printing procedure itself.” Reference: “Toward Printing the Brain: A Microstructural Ground Truth Phantom for MRI” by Michael Woletz, Franziska Chalupa-Gantner, Benedikt Hager, Alexander Ricke, Siawoosh Mohammadi, Stefan Binder, Stefan Baudis, Aleksandr Ovsianikov, Christian Windischberger and Zoltan Nagy, 07 January 2024, Advanced Materials Technologies.DOI: 10.1002/ admt.202300176.
The resulting patent forms the basis for the brain phantom that has actually now been developed and is being supervised by TU Wiens Research and Transfer Support team.Visually, this phantom does not have much to do with a genuine brain. The situation is comparable with dMRI: using the newly established brain phantom, we can adjust the analysis software application much more precisely and thus improve the quality of the measured information and reconstruct the neural architecture of the brain more accurately.” Brain phantom trains analysis softwareThe authentic recreation of characteristic nerve structures in the brain is for that reason essential for “training” the dMRI analysis software. The brain phantoms thus illustrate areas in the brain that generate particularly complicated signals and are therefore challenging to analyze, such as intersecting nerve pathways.In order to calibrate the analysis software application, the brain phantom is therefore analyzed utilizing dMRI, and the determined data is examined as in a real brain.
