Creation of Large-Size 3D-printed Patient Specific Phantoms for Training in Robotic Surgery

The creation of realistic human phantoms is beneficial for medical training and surgical planning. Traditional methods for producing these phantoms are often complex, time-consuming, and costly, especially for models with specific anatomical variations. This paper introduces a novel method for the fabrication of patient-specific phantoms that utilizes large-scale material extrusion 3D printing technology. The Solid Geometry (SG) Library in MATLAB is used to convert surface models and medical imaging data into printable volume models. We detail the process of transforming these models, the printing techniques employed, and the post-processing methods used to improve the functionality of the final phantoms. The results demonstrate the capability of this method to produce large-scale phantoms potentially suitable for robotic surgery training, aiming to improve the preparedness and skills of medical practitioners.