PlanNet - Planning Center using 3D technology for Personalized Medicine

Printing models and analytical aids using 3D printers, utilising virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) – these are just some of the advanced tools used at the Sheba 3D Centre to find the optimal solution for each patient with a personalised approach.

The center, led by Dr. Dina Orkin, Director of Operating Rooms and Anaesthesia, supports the surgical system by helping surgeons plan and prepare for operations. A major benefit of the 3D centre, integrated with the Operating Rooms system, is its capability to offer design, production, and development solutions for ideas and requirements originating directly from the operating room. The centre focuses on refining and advancing existing tools as well as generating concepts for new tools.

Just as drug administration is tailored to each patient's medical condition, needs, and sensitivities, why should we settle for non-personalised tools and parts in surgery? Imagine if, before entering the operating room, the surgical team could practice on organs printed to be exactly like those of the patient they will soon encounter on the operating table? The outcome would undoubtedly be more precise and beneficial. 

Here's how it works:

Segmentation - converting CT or MRI scans into a three-dimensional file.

Examining the patient's anatomy and simulating the surgery or procedure using advanced software.

A joint meeting of the surgical team with the planning centre's team to find the optimal solution.

How does 3D technology assist surgeons?

PlanNet’s goal is to prepare surgeons for surgery in the best possible way through planning, examining, and preparing for the procedure they are about to undertake, using state-of-the-art surgery planning software. The first step is converting patient's CT and MRI scans into 3D digital models. These models allow surgeons to simulate the surgery beforehand. Then, they can decide on the necessary tools to execute the plan:

1. Anatomical models for simulation: We produce models from CT/MRI scans using 3D printing with different materials. This allows surgeons to explore and practice on these models before surgery. By using a precise model of the patient's organ or bones, surgeons can approach the surgery with a well-defined plan.

2. Customised surgical tools for the patient: Surgeons use cutting guides made from bio-compatible materials attach directly to the bone, allowing surgeons to make precise cuts according to the pre-surgical plan.

3. VR (Virtual Reality) technology: Surgeons wearing VR goggles can look at a patient's body from every angle to plan surgeries in the optimal way.

4. Augmented Reality (AR) technology: Surgeons can use AR goggles to project CT images directly onto the patient during surgery, allowing them to examine the anatomy while operating, and be guided by the pre-surgery plan.  This approach is still being developed.

5. Templates-spacers: In patients suffering from joint inflammation, antiobiotic treatment often fails to reach the joint directly. In such a case, the alternative approach involves removing the joint to help the entire area cool down, a process that can take months. Afterwards, a metal joint is implanted. During this period, muscle contraction makes normal functioning impossible. In the past, the solution was to inject medical cement in place of the joint, which would set in the body imprecisely. The solution offered by the 3D centre delivers precise and optimal outcomes. Custom templates are meticulously designed to match each patient's unique anatomy; during surgery, antibiotic-infused cement is used to create a spacer that perfectly conforms to the patient's body structure. This spacer, implanted in the place of the joint, serves as a personalised and convenient temporary replacement.