Summary:

What happens technologically between the capture of a real anatomical structure and its representation as a digital, physical, or virtual 3D model?

Building on an overview of the clinical 3D workflow at Kepler University Hospital, this article examines the technologies employed in the process. It sheds light on how real bodily structures are captured and digitized, how various types of 3D data are processed and prepared for subsequent use, and the transition from the digital model to a physical or virtual representation.

The focus lies on the question of which characteristics can be captured and reproduced using these technologies, and which information is altered or reduced in the process. This gives rise to specific challenges in achieving a reproduction of human form and appearance that is as faithful to the original as possible.