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Creation of a Physical 3D Homo sapiens Single‐cell Model using Confocal Microscopy Data via Rapid Prototyping
Author(s) -
Paliwal Vipin,
Hausch Paul,
Padmanabhan Vakeel,
Ramachandran Ramani
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.764.2
Subject(s) - rapid prototyping , cytokinesis , confocal , computer science , mitosis , 3d model , confocal microscopy , process (computing) , visualization , computer graphics (images) , 3d printer , cell division , artificial intelligence , cell , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , materials science , engineering , physics , optics , mechanical engineering , composite material , operating system , genetics
Physical three‐dimensional (3D) cells models are used to enhance understanding of cellular processes. Previously 3D models were artist's renditions of how cells were thought to look like and were not exact. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel process of converting a z‐axis stack of two‐dimensional confocal microscopy images into physical three‐dimensional cell models. Confocal microscope images of a single Homo sapiens endothelial cell were captured depicting the various cell stages of mitosis/cytokinesis or cell division. The high resolution of these images allowed for a single cell model to be produced, which has never been done before via rapid prototyping process. We investigated novel methods to create the most accurate and visually informative 3D cell models possible. Images were further enhanced in the medical imaging program Mimics , resized and oriented in the modeling program Freeform , and converted to the .STL file format prior to production on the rapid prototyping machines. Physical cell models were created using both the Z Corporation's Spectrum Z™ 510 printer and the 3D SystemsTM 250 SLA printer. These new cell models created from microscopic images could benefit research scientists as well as classroom teachers, who can also now explain cellular processes like mitosis kinesthetically by providing hand size models to their students.