Figure 2.

Modeling the individual canine anatomy for operative planning. (A) A pre-operative CT scan was obtained and the skull was traced out manually on individual slices. (B) The tracing from the CT scan was used to render a 3-dimensional skull as an .stl file. (C) A 3T T1 MRI sequence was used to trace out and render the beagle's brain in a similar fashion. (D) The skull was then printed in 3D ceramic at full scale. (E) A rubberized brain model was also printed along with a transparent cap. This allowed planning for the craniotomy relative to palpable skull landmarks, and the intended region of the grid (white paper on the brain model beneath the transparent cap). (F,G) These models were used in pre-operative planning to identify and mark skull landmarks and plan for surgical implantation directly on the animal's scalp. Note the rubberized brain model in situ in the top right (yellow arrow).