Design, Analysis and Fabrication of Human External Ear by Using Fused Film Fabrication

Abstract

The conductive hearing loss due to ossicular abnormalities occurs from many causes, including trauma, cholesteatoma, infection, surgery and congenital anomalies. Recent developments in the area of tissue engineering as well as in the area of fused film fabrication promise to profoundly affect the practice of reconstructive surgery. Therefore, a human external ear prototype is built by using the 3D printing technology from the CT scan by conversion using 3D slicer software. Firstly, the human head computer tomography (CT) scanned file of DICOM data format is collected. Then the DICOM data file is converted into NRRD file format by using 3D slicer software and saved in a folder. Then the NRRD file is converted into 3D printable STL file format by using Embodi3D.com website. Here the STL file is imported into 3D slicer for separation of external ear from total head model by using Mesh mixer. Then the STL file of the ear is imported into the 3d printing machine which builds the prototype of ear. The prototype was made with PLA plastic using an FDM 3D printer. During the prototype building, various parameters of printing machine are recorded. The analytical tests were carried on ANSYS by applying various Bio compatible stresses on the ear surface and the results are recoded.