Session: CIE-13-01 CAPPD: Digital Human Modeling for Design and Manufacturing

Paper Number: 142171

142171 - Reverse Engineering and Prototyping of a Nasal Cavity Model for Odorant Detection Experiments 

 

Reverse engineering (RE) is an evolving discipline in information science that offers computer-based reproductions of components, products, or even anatomical structures. Focusing on the human nose, various approaches, including basic 3D scanning, silicone rubber impressions, or medical imaging techniques, have been used for acquisition. Among these, just imaging techniques such as CT and MRI allow us to completely visualize the internal anatomy of the nose, also enabling three-dimensional reconstructions.

Starting from these considerations, this work aims to create accurate 3D reconstructions of the nose, with a special focus on the nasal cavity, starting from a preoperative CT scan dataset. A thresholding-based segmentation approach was chosen, to derive the inner volume occupied by the air. From this, with a hollowing operation, a constant thickness wall was generated. After the integration with surrounding anatomy, and minor design modifications, the assembly was ready to be 3D printed. 

To reproduce realistic mechanical behaviour, a Polyjet technology printer with a differentiation in resins assignment was used.

The obtained model was then integrated into an experimental setup, including an odor sensor and a vacuum pump to generate airflow. Preliminary tests were run to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solution in guaranteeing signal detection.

As a preliminary output, this study showed the feasibility of an experimental workbench to replicate a human sniff. This was successfully tested with odorant molecules and an odor sensor. Now, more extensive tests will have to be conducted, even comparing results with those from numerical simulation.

 

 

Presenting Author: Marco Rossoni Politecnico di Milano

Presenting Author Biography: Assistant Professor at the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Authors:

Michele Bertolini Politecnico di Milano
Marco Rossoni Politecnico di Milano
Marina Carulli Politecnico di Milano
Romain Dubreuil Aryballe
Giorgio Colombo Politecnico di Milano
Monica Bordegoni Politecnico di Milano