  In this publication, the interactive planning and reconstruction of cranial
3D Implants under the medical prototyping platform MeVisLab as alternative to
commercial planning software is introduced. In doing so, a MeVisLab prototype
consisting of a customized data-flow network and an own C++ module was set up.
As a result, the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software prototype guides a user
through the whole workflow to generate an implant. Therefore, the workflow
begins with loading and mirroring the patients head for an initial curvature of
the implant. Then, the user can perform an additional Laplacian smoothing,
followed by a Delaunay triangulation. The result is an aesthetic looking and
well-fitting 3D implant, which can be stored in a CAD file format, e.g.
STereoLithography (STL), for 3D printing. The 3D printed implant can finally be
used for an in-depth pre-surgical evaluation or even as a real implant for the
patient. In a nutshell, our research and development shows that a customized
MeVisLab software prototype can be used as an alternative to complex commercial
planning software, which may also not be available in every clinic. Finally,
not to conform ourselves directly to available commercial software and look for
other options that might improve the workflow.
