Method of forming transparent 3d object and transparent 3d object formed thereby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016332388-A1
Application number	US-201615149426-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of forming a transparent 3D object and a transparent 3D object formed by the method are provided. A transparent 3D object may be formed as follows. An internal structure of a 3D object is printed using a 3D printer based on a 3D image file having information about an internal region of the 3D object, and a mold, designed to form the 3D object and divided into at least two regions, is printed using the 3D printer based on the 3D image file. Then, the internal structure is combined with an inner region of the mold, and a transparent material is supplied to the mold. After the transparent material hardens, a transparent 3D object is obtained by removing the mold.

First claim

1 . A method of forming a transparent three-dimensional (3D) object, the method comprising:
printing an internal structure of a 3D object using a 3D printer based on a 3D image file having information about an internal region of the 3D object; printing a mold, designed to form the 3D object and divided into at least two regions, by using the 3D printer based on the 3D image file; combining the internal structure with an inner region of the mold; supplying a transparent material to the mold; and removing the mold after the transparent material hardens.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing of the internal structure comprises 3D printing an independent structure separate from an outer surface of the 3D object and located in the 3D object,
wherein the printing of the mold comprises: detecting a three-dimensional position of the independent structure located in the 3D object based on the 3D image file; and 3D printing the mold comprising penetration holes, the penetration holes corresponding to at least two imaginary lines crossing at the three-dimensional position, wherein the supplying of the transparent material comprises supplying the transparent material to the mold after fixing the independent structure using supports inserted through the penetration holes, the independent structure being fixed to a point at which the supports cross each other, wherein the removing of the mold comprises: removing the supports; and inserting the transparent material into the penetration holes from which the supports are removed.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D image file is prepared by capturing xy-plane images of the 3D object at regular intervals in a z-axis direction to obtain a 3D image of the 3D object, interpolating empty spaces of the 3D image in the z-axis direction, and converting sets of voxels of the interpolated 3D image into polygon data.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing of the internal structure comprises:
detecting at least two internal structures located in the 3D object based on the 3D image file; and 3D printing the at least two internal structures using printing materials having different colors.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D object is an human organ, and
the internal structure comprises at least one of blood vessels, tumors, and bronchial tubes of the human organ.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing of the mold comprises printing the mold using a material soluble in a predetermined chemical.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising smoothening a surface of a 3D object remaining after the mold is removed, by using at least one of sandpaper, vapor of an acetone solution, an epoxy resin coating, and a finishing material.

8 . A transparent 3D object comprising:
at least one internal structure formed by 3D printing; and a transparent part formed by pouring a transparent material into a mold in which the at least one internal structure is internally fixed.

9 . The transparent 3D object of claim 8 , wherein the transparent 3D object comprises at least two internal structures, and
the at least two internal structures are formed by 3D printing using materials having different colors.

10 . The transparent 3D object of claim 8 , wherein the at least one internal structure comprises an independent structure separate from an outer surface of the transparent 3D object,
the transparent 3D object comprises penetration holes through at least two supports are inserted to internally fix the independent structure, and after the supports are removed, the penetration holes are filled with the same material as the transparent material.

11 . A method of forming a transparent 3D object, the method comprising:
receiving a 3D capture image obtained by capturing xy-plane images of a 3D object at regular intervals in a z-axis direction; generating a compensated 3D image by interpolating empty spaces of the 3D capture image in the z-axis direction; generating a 3D image file by converting sets of voxels of the compensated 3D image into polygon data; and providing the 3D image file to a 3D printer for 3D printing.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the 3D capture image is a computed tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the generating of the 3D image file comprises repairing meshes to correct holes and flip surfaces appearing when volume data of the sets of voxels is converted into surfaces of a 3D printing image.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the generating of the 3D image file comprises:
separating a volume of interest (VOI) from the compensated 3D image; and generating a 3D image file for the VOI.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the separating of the VOI comprises:
separating a first VOI comprising a human organ region from the compensated 3D image; and separating a second VOI comprising at least one of blood vessel regions, tumor regions, and bronchial tube regions included in the first VOI.

16 . A computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method of claim 11 .

Assignees

• Univ Seoul Nat R & Db Found

Inventors

• Park Sang Joon
• Chung Jin Wook
• Goo Jin Mo
• Lee Doo Hee
• Lee Sang Youn
• Kim Jung Hoon

Classifications

• B29C64/171

  specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects · CPC title

• B29C45/14065

  Positioning or centering articles in the mould · CPC title

• B29C64/188

  involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00) · CPC title

• B29K2995/0026

  Transparent · CPC title

• B29K2083/00

  Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material · CPC title