NIT, SKIMS researchers develop first patient-specific cranial prosthesis of titanium mesh

SRINAGAR: Researchers from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here have jointly developed the first patient-specific cranial prosthesis of titanium mesh that will on average reduce 15 minutes of surgery time, officials said on Thursday.

Professionals from the Mechanical Engineering Department, NIT Srinagar and SKIMS Soura worked to develop the first patient-specific cranial prosthesis of titanium mesh, a spokesman of the NIT said.

He said the research teams used available computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing facilities at NIT Srinagar for the purpose.

The patient-specific cranial prosthesis of titanium mesh will reduce 15 minutes of surgery time and it was successfully implanted in a patient on July 1 at SKIMS, the spokesman said.

In the project, anatomy was engineered by taking the patient’s CT scan data as an input, 3D model was developed using MIMICS software and the prosthesis was designed using 3-Matic software, he said.

The prototype was manufactured on the state-of-the-art computer-controlled Fused Deposition Modeling, (FDM) machine-Fortus 450mc, Stratasys USA, in the mechanical engineering department, the spokesman said.

The commercially available titanium mesh, medical grade 1, was bent on the developed skull prototype made of ABS-M30i to restore the anatomical features of the patient’s head who had met with an accident a few months before in Kashmir, he said.

“Intra-operative surgery time was reduced to approximately 15 minutes for a defect of size 36 sq. cm2, approximately as the titanium shearing operation traditionally performed by the neurosurgeon was done well before the surgery,” the spokesman said.

Director, NIT Srinagar, Rakesh Sehgal said the institute will always take lead in innovations that will benefit the common masses.

“Over the past several years, NIT Srinagar has signed several MoUs with institutions across the globe and the joint collaboration in research is yielding good results. We are committed to serve society through technology and ease living of common people,” he said. (PTI)