Mimics
Encyclopedia
Mimics is an image processing software for 3D design and modeling, developed by Materialise NV
, a Belgian company specialized in additive manufacturing
software and technology. Mimics is used to create 3D surface models from stacks of 2D image data. These 3D models can then be used for a variety of engineering applications. Mimics is an acronym for Materialise Interactive Medical Image Control System. It is developed in an ISO
environment with CE
and FDA 510k
premarket clearance. Mimics is commercially available as part of the Mimics Innovation Suite, which also contains 3-matic, a design and meshing software for anatomical data. The current version is 14.1, it supports Windows 7, Vista and XP in both x32 and x64.
, Confocal Microscopy
, Micro CT
, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
through image segmentation
. The ROI, selected in the segmentation process is converted to a 3D surface model using an adapted marching cubes
algorithm that takes the partial volume effect
into account, leading to very accurate 3D models. The 3D files are represented in the STL
format.
Most common input format is DICOM
, but other image formats such as: TIFF
, JPEG
, BMP and Raw
are also supported.
Output file formats differ, depending on the subsequent application: common 3D output formats include STL
, VRML
, PLY
and DXF
. The 3D files can also be optimized for FEA
or CFD
and can therefore be exported to Abaqus
in INP format, to Ansys in INP, CDB and MSH format, to Nastran
in OUT, NAS and BDF format, and to Comsol in MPHTXT format. To continue with Computer-aided design
, the files can be exported in IGES
format or as Point cloud
.
These industries use patient-specific 3D data to improve their implants and devices or to get a better understanding of biomechanical processes.
Also non-medical industries like materials science use Mimics in image-based R&D.
Materialise NV
Materialise NV, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, is active in the field of additive manufacturing.-History:Materialise was founded in June 1990 by Wilfried Vancraen as a spin-off of the KULeuven, becoming the first Rapid Prototyping Service Bureau in the Benelux region...
, a Belgian company specialized in additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing is defined by ASTM as the "process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, such as traditional machining...
software and technology. Mimics is used to create 3D surface models from stacks of 2D image data. These 3D models can then be used for a variety of engineering applications. Mimics is an acronym for Materialise Interactive Medical Image Control System. It is developed in an ISO
ISO 13485
ISO 13485 is an ISO standard, published in 2003, that represents the requirements for a comprehensive management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices...
environment with CE
CE mark
CE marking is a mandatory conformity mark for products placed on the market in the European Economic Area . With the CE marking on a product the manufacturer ensures that the product conforms with the essential requirements of the applicable EC directives...
and FDA 510k
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
premarket clearance. Mimics is commercially available as part of the Mimics Innovation Suite, which also contains 3-matic, a design and meshing software for anatomical data. The current version is 14.1, it supports Windows 7, Vista and XP in both x32 and x64.
Process
Mimics calculates surface 3D models from stacked image data such as Computed Tomography (CT)Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
, Confocal Microscopy
Confocal microscopy
Confocal microscopy is an optical imaging technique used to increase optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by using point illumination and a spatial pinhole to eliminate out-of-focus light in specimens that are thicker than the focal plane. It enables the reconstruction of...
, Micro CT
Microtomography
Microtomography , like tomography, uses x-rays to create cross-sections of a 3D-object that later can be used to recreate a virtual model without destroying the original model....
, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
through image segmentation
Segmentation (image processing)
In computer vision, segmentation refers to the process of partitioning a digital image into multiple segments . The goal of segmentation is to simplify and/or change the representation of an image into something that is more meaningful and easier to analyze...
. The ROI, selected in the segmentation process is converted to a 3D surface model using an adapted marching cubes
Marching cubes
Marching cubes is a computer graphics algorithm, published in the 1987 SIGGRAPH proceedings by Lorensen and Cline, for extracting a polygonal mesh of an isosurface from a three-dimensional scalar field...
algorithm that takes the partial volume effect
Partial volume (imaging)
The partial volume effect occurs in medical imaging and more generally in biological imaging when a single voxel contains a mixture of multiple tissue values. A higher resolution decreases this effect, as it better resolves the tissue. The method to correct for the partial volume effect is...
into account, leading to very accurate 3D models. The 3D files are represented in the STL
STL (file format)
STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three dimensional...
format.
Most common input format is DICOM
Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine
DICOM is a standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. It includes a file format definition and a network communications protocol. The communication protocol is an application protocol that uses TCP/IP to communicate between systems...
, but other image formats such as: TIFF
Tagged Image File Format
TIFF is a file format for storing images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry, and both amateur and professional photographers in general. As of 2009, it is under the control of Adobe Systems...
, JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
, BMP and Raw
RAW image format
A camera raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of either a digital camera, image scanner, or motion picture film scanner. Raw files are so named because they are not yet processed and therefore are not ready to be printed or edited with a bitmap graphics editor...
are also supported.
Output file formats differ, depending on the subsequent application: common 3D output formats include STL
STL (file format)
STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three dimensional...
, VRML
VRML
VRML is a standard file format for representing 3-dimensional interactive vector graphics, designed particularly with the World Wide Web in mind...
, PLY
PLY (file format)
PLY is a computer file format known as the Polygon File Format or the Stanford Triangle Format.The format was principally designed to store three dimensional data from 3D scanners. It supports a relatively simple description of a single object as a list of nominally flat polygons...
and DXF
AutoCAD DXF
AutoCAD DXF is a CAD data file format developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs....
. The 3D files can also be optimized for FEA
Finite element method
The finite element method is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of partial differential equations as well as integral equations...
or CFD
Computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...
and can therefore be exported to Abaqus
Abaqus
Abaqus FEA is a suite of software applications for finite element analysis and computer-aided engineering, originally released in 1978...
in INP format, to Ansys in INP, CDB and MSH format, to Nastran
Nastran
NASTRAN is a finite element analysis program that was originally developed for NASA in the late 1960s under United States government funding for the Aerospace industry. The MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation was one of the principal and original developers of the public domain NASTRAN code...
in OUT, NAS and BDF format, and to Comsol in MPHTXT format. To continue with Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
, the files can be exported in IGES
IGES
The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification is a file format which defines a vendor neutral data format that allows the digital exchange of information among Computer-aided design systems....
format or as Point cloud
Point cloud
A point cloud is a set of vertices in a three-dimensional coordinate system. These vertices are usually defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates, and typically are intended to be representative of the external surface of an object....
.
Industries
Mimics has been adopted by biomedical engineers and device manufacturers for R&D purposes in various medical industries:- Orthopedic
- Craniomaxillofacial
- Cardiovascular
- Pulmonology
These industries use patient-specific 3D data to improve their implants and devices or to get a better understanding of biomechanical processes.
Also non-medical industries like materials science use Mimics in image-based R&D.
Applications
Mimics is a platform to bridge stacked image data to a variety of different medical engineering applications:- 3D measurements and analyses
- Finite Element Analysis: ABAQUSAbaqusAbaqus FEA is a suite of software applications for finite element analysis and computer-aided engineering, originally released in 1978...
, ANSYS,...etc - Computational Fluid DynamicsComputational fluid dynamicsComputational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...
: FLUENT, CFXCFXCFX is a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics program, used to simulate fluid flow in a variety of applications. The ANSYS CFX product allows engineers to test systems in a virtual environment...
,...etc - Computer Aided DesignComputer-aided designComputer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
: SolidWorksSolidWorksSolidWorks is a 3D mechanical CAD program that runs on Microsoft Windows and is being developed by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, S. A. . SolidWorks is currently used by over 1.3 million engineers and designers at more than 130,000 companies worldwide...
, Pro/E...etc - Rapid PrototypingRapid prototypingRapid prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology. The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the late 1980s and were used to produce models and prototype parts. Today, they are used for a much wider range of applications...
: 3D Systems3D Systems3D Systems, headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is a maker of rapid prototyping machines, notable for developing stereolithography and the STL file format.- History :...
, EOSEOS (company)EOS GmbH, or EOS, Electro Optical Systems, is a major manufacturer of SLS and DMLS laser sintering systems, based in Krailling, Germany. Its revenues exceed 60 million Euros, and employs 300 people worldwide...
, StratasysStratasysStratasys, Inc. , founded by S. Scott Crump and his wife Lisa Crump, is a company that manufactures additive fabrication machines for direct digital manufacturing , 3D printing and rapid prototyping...
, ZCorp, , Dimension, Objet, ... etc - Surgical simulationVirtual surgeryVirtual surgery refers to a virtual reality simulation of surgical procedures.Such simulations are used to practice often dangerous surgical procedures without the need for an actual patient...
- Customized implant design
See also
- Medical imagingMedical imagingMedical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science...
- Computed tomographyComputed tomographyX-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
- 3D modeling3D modelingIn 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model...
- Computer representation of surfacesComputer representation of surfacesIn technical applications of 3D computer graphics such as computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, surfaces are one way of representing objects. The other ways are wireframe and solids...