On the 4th of April, Ms Monica Russell from our industry partner Materialise delivered the first centre workshop of the year, with a Mimics training course to our centre post-docs and PhD students.

The Materialise Mimics Innovation Suite is a advanced tool that our researches, particularly in Program 1, use to transform medical images such as CT scans and X-rays into 3D computer models. Such computer models allow for the use of Finite Element analysis,  and for us to create more detailed models of bony and soft tissue mechanics in activities of daily life and after injury and surgery. These models are then adapted for designing shoulder implants, planning shoulder surgeries, and clinical decision-making. Hence the Mimics Innovation Suite is a fundamental analysis tool that we use.

Students and Post docs had the chance to join the first of a series of training sessions with  PhD students Mr Maxence Lavaill, Mr Xiaolong fan, Mr Arun Jolly, Miss Natali Uribe – M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering, Dr Dermot O’Rourke, Mr Marco Branni, and Dr Edmund Pickering in attendance.

As described by one of our clinical partners, Adj. Prof. Ashish Gupta of his work at his start-up company Akunah, “we work with data analytics and use computer modeling for planning primaries and complex revision arthroplasty. The Materialise Mimics Innovation Suite forms the backbone of QUASR, but we also use the technology in computer modeling solutions we provide our clients and customers globally. I believe that the software is quite powerful and enables us to bring substantial benefits to research and at the point of care.”

As we work ni partnership with Adj. Prof Gupta to create more accurate 3D computer models for pre-operative patient care and to test different bone and soft-tissue qualities and model kinematic data, the software will remain a central research tool for the duration of the centre.

The training was a great success with students from the centre incorporating the technology into their projects and how the technology is now supporting the  roll-out of Virtual Reality technology in operating theatres.

The team looks forward to participating in future trainings on the software and learning more advanced features. We’d like to thank Ms Monica Russell, Ms Sasha S. & Ms   Susan Ong for the organisation of this training.