Original Work Progress Assessment

Mentor: Dr. Ronald Mancini

Topic: Oculoplastic Surgery

Final Product: 3-D-printed skull with nasolacrimal anatomical emphasis

Analysis:

I would like to outline the critical changes that have been made to my Original Work

since the inception of my Product Proposal several weeks earlier.

I explained my Original Work project to Dr. Mancini, citing the reservations I had about

the difficulty of it. However, Dr. Mancini reassured me that what I am doing is the best possible

way for me to learn anatomy and modeling as well as contribute to a true, gratifying purpose. He

even suggested that I add on a second component to my project, which is to record stock footage

of navigating the nasolacrimal ducts of the 3-D printed skull with an endoscope. The purpose of

this is to show how this skull can be used to teach medical residents about certain surgical

procedures, such as dacryocystorhinostomy. Though my printed skull may be not as professional

as others, it will be the greatest experience I can have to learn and purely learn. I have been

relying on online sources solely; now that I have begun to seriously progress my Original Work,

I must refer to more cohesive sources such as books about Autodesk Inventor 2018 and

nasolacrimal anatomy. Furthermore, I can use existing Autodesk files of detailed skulls as a

jumping board to practice modeling my own skull.

One point of action that I had initially planned is the use of part modeling rather than

modeling object into a distinct skull. Dr. Mancini fully supports this idea of mine. When
realistically modeling something as dynamic as the human skull, it is important to focus on

localized detail and then fuse multiple components into a holistic skull model.

Another plan of action I thought about is to acquire a 3-D scanner as well as a printer. If I

can gain temporary access to the human skulls present in Dr. Mancinis office, I can potentially

use a 3-D scanner to quickly make a software model of a skull with much improved accuracy.

However, this will detract from my personal benefit of pursuing my Original Work, which I hope

to model myself and thus learn intensively about.

In summary, I expressed my doubts and limitations about the accuracy and quality of my

project, but my mentor reassured me that it was the best possible learning experience I could

have (to learn anatomy and functionality and model a skull rather than do something easier, such

as making a health PSA or poster, which wouldn't be as purposeful and wouldn't have relevance

to the science of my topic). I agreed and focused my attention to how I can be better at software

modeling. My mentor suggested that I use some existing files on the Internet as a jumping board.

In this way, I could learn with already made models, but truly learn by modeling the skull

myself, which would give me a much deeper understanding of the cranial and oculofacial

structural analysis. My mentor even suggested a second component of my Original Work; since

the main purpose of this skull is to provide as an educational model and measurement standard, I

could videotape the passage of surgical tools through certain parts of the skull with an

endoscope. This footage can be compared to the endoscope footage my mentor took while doing

real surgeries and can be shown to educate. Specific footage for different procedures could show

which parts to navigate and probe - for example, the endoscopic DCR procedure would involve a

surgical tool entering the nostril and probing the medial side of the eye, adjacent to the punctum.

Overall, I felt that my Original Work project solidified and expanded to my satisfaction.
 So far, the major accomplishments of my plan so far have been finishing learning all

relevant anatomical knowledge and acquiring an official first prototype.

Using ABS fiber, a prototype model of a patients true orbital skull was made through 3-

D printing in Dr. Mancinis office. However, this was not modeled rather, a real human skull

was 3-D scanned and rendered to print. My Original Work differs from this because I am actually

modeling the skull bit by bit a tiresome and tedious process but one that is totally worth it. I am

learning how the human body works by utilizing contemporary software programs and cutting-

edge printing processes. At the same time, my end goals for the project inspire me: to create

something used in education is possibly one of the greatest services a person can do. I know that

I want to do that in the future, so my Original Work is just the beginning.

Front View Back View