Anatomical Characterization of Frontal Sinus and Development of Representative Models

This paper presents the methods and the materials towards characterizing frontal sinus anatomy and developing representative anatomical models which reflect the variance of the anatomy with three different sizes: small, medium and large. Anatomical characterization was performed using computer tomography data of up to 50 anonymous patients. Dimensional and volumetric measurements were conducted using the .stl files generated by segmentation and 3-D reconstruction. Three representative data sets were chosen to be realized in the form of models with frontal sinuses of small, medium and large sizes. The models include bone, mucosa and skin structures, whereas bone structures were manufactured by selective laser sintering of polyamide and the soft tissues by casting of gelatin and silicone. To ensure realistic optical and mechanical properties of the mucosa, verification tests were performed and the results were integrated into the manufacturing process.