Case Study: University of Limerick achieves improved aneurysm rupture assessment and surgical planning with Materialise's Mimics Innovation Suite

Custom Tailored Aneurysm Treatment that Saves Lives

The University of Limerick developed a Finite Element Analysis Rupture Index (FEARI) to quantify the rupture potential of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and sought to evaluate FEARI alongside 3D reconstructions for better surgical decision-making and device sizing. To do this they used Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite to convert patient CT data into detailed 3D models for preoperative planning.

Materialise’s Mimics generated 3D reconstructions from CT scans for ten patients (reconstruction times ranged from about 2 minutes to 1 hour), and those models were imported into FEA software to calculate wall stress and FEARI (a 0–1 index of rupture risk). The workflow improved measurement accuracy, supported stent-graft sizing and EVAR planning, aided postoperative monitoring, and increased surgeon confidence—demonstrating Materialise’s role in enabling clinically useful FEARI-based planning.

University of Limerick

Doyle

University of Limerick