Prof. Daniel Candinas and Prof. Beat Gloor of University Hospital Berne use the model to plan the removal of a liver tumour (yellow) without endangering the blood vessels in the healthy tissue (blue). The ideal incision point is shown in green.

A photograph related to the Co-Me project of Professor Stefan Weber has been selected as Picture of the Month by the Swiss National Science Foundation. It shows two surgeons using an individual 3D model of a liver to plan the removal of a tumour.

Rapid prototyping processes that were originally developed for producing industrial samples have recently been adopted by clinical medicine. The ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research at the University of Berne uses computed tomography data to produce individual three-dimensional models of organs. These help surgeons when they are planning and performing complex operations such as the removal of liver tumours. Using anatomically accurate, detailed models helped surgeons at University Hospital Berne with spatial orientation and made it easier for them to use surgical instruments precisely.

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