U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Reverse Engineering-Rapid Prototyping of the Skull in Forensic Trauma Analysis

NCJ Number
235806
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2011 Pages: 1015-1017
Author(s)
Mattias Kettner, M.D.; Peter Schmidt, M.D.; Stefan Potente, M.D.; Frank Ramsthaler, M.D.; Michael Schrodt, Ph.D.
Date Published
July 2011
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the application of rapid prototyping (RP)in forensic medicine.
Abstract
Rapid prototyping (RP) comprises a variety of automated manufacturing techniques such as selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography, and three-dimensional printing (3DP), which use virtual 3D data sets to fabricate solid forms in a layer-by-layer technique. Despite a growing demand for (virtual) reconstruction models in daily forensic casework, maceration of the skull is frequently assigned to ensure haptic evidence presentation in the courtroom. Owing to the progress in the field of forensic radiology, 3D data sets of relevant cases are usually available to the forensic expert. Here, we present a first application of RP in forensic medicine using computed tomography scans for the fabrication of an SLS skull model in a case of fatal hammer impacts to the head. The report is intended to show that this method fully respects the dignity of the deceased and is consistent with medical ethics but nevertheless provides an excellent 3D impression of anatomical structures and injuries. (Published Abstract)

Downloads

No download available

Availability