3D printers may reduce animal numbers to train neuroengineering procedures

Abstract

Neuroengineering related interventions to small animals always carry the high risk of missled procedures, frequently causing premature death of the animal. In this paper the manufacturing process to build a physical rat skull and brain model for educational use is presented. Out of MRI images a rat brain was segmented to build a negative mould. This form was used to cast an agarose rat brain. For an accompanying rat neurocranium model, CT images were rendered to a surface mesh and printed in 3D out of PLA. The presented workflow results in a high detailed rat skull and rat brain.