Uni of Pavia surgical model - Stratasys
Medical model printed with Stratasys 3D printing technology.
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) are to collect 3D printing data at the point of care as a new clinical data registry is launched this autumn.
It follows the approval of Category III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes which allowed for the data collection around 3D anatomical modelling, led by the ACR, late last year.
The partnership of RSNA and ACR will seek to gather data around the use of 3D printing in medical settings that has so far gone untapped. 3D printing has been harnessed by medical professionals for years, most prevalently to produce anatomical models from 3D images to better prepare, and communicate, surgical procedures. This application of the technology has continued to grow and is credited with enhancing patient care.
Per Frank Rybicki, who is Chair of the ACR Committee on Appropriateness Criteria and Founding Chair of the RSNA 3D Printing Special Interest Group (SIG), most craniomaxillofacial care providers, used as an example, would agree that 3D printing is now integral to patient care. Yet, there is currently little peer-reviewed literature to demonstrate this value. This new registry aims to change that, enabling data analysis to be carried out and the clinical value of 3D printing determined beyond general acceptance.
“The creation of the joint RSNA-ACR 3D Printing Registry is essential for the advancement of clinical 3D printing,” commented William Weadock, M.D., Professor of Radiology at the University of Michigan and Chair of the RSNA 3D Printing SIG. “The registry will allow us to collect data in support of the appropriate use of this technology and its value in clinical decision making, and this collaboration between RSNA and ACR shows the importance of 3D printing to radiology.”
The registry has garnered financial support in the form of unrestrictive grants from Formlabs, HP, Materialise and Stratasys, while a number of professionals, including Dr. Jane Matsumoto, Mr Andy Christensen, Dr. Nicole Wake and Dr Kenneth Wang have been heralded for their contributions towards the efforts. A joint ACR-RSNA committee will govern the registry.
“The RSNA 3D Printing Special Interest Group has brought together leaders from radiology practice and from the 3D printing industry to advance the science and applications of this important new technology,” said Charles Khan, M.D., M.S., Chair of the RSNA Radiology Informatics Committee. “The registry will help us understand the value that 3D printing can bring to clinical practice.”
