A patient CT scan is acquired as a stack of thin 2D slices. Segmentation software reconstructs the bone surface in 3D and flags the missing region against the patient's own anatomy — not a generic template. A CAD model of the replacement patch is built so its border matches the defect edge exactly, something a stock off-the-shelf implant cannot do.
The implant is then built by Selective Laser Melting (SLM / LPBF): a laser fuses a thin layer of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy powder to the shape of that layer's cross-section, the build platform drops by one layer thickness, a fresh powder layer is spread, and the laser fuses the next cross-section on top — repeated hundreds of times until the full 3D part exists. Ti-6Al-4V is used because it is strong, light and biocompatible, and SLM lets its lattice-like internal structure promote bone ingrowth.
- Print progress — reveals the implant layer by layer, bottom to top, the way the real build platform descends one layer at a time.
- Stage buttons — jump between scan, segmentation, design, print and the final seated fit check.
- Fit check — because the implant patch was generated from the same segmented surface as the defect, it seats into the opening with zero gap — the core advantage of patient-specific additive manufacturing over stock implants.