3d printed aorta & heart valve

have developed a groundbreaking process for multi-material 3-D printing of lifelike models of the heart's aortic valve and the surrounding structures that mimic the exact look and feel of a real patient.

Such models can be used in preparation for minimally invasive procedures to improve outcomes in thousands of patients worldwide.

The researchers 3-D printed what is called the aortic root, the section of the aorta closest to and attached to the heart. The aortic root consists of the aortic valve and the openings for the coronary arteries. The aortic valve has three flaps, called leaflets, surrounded by a fibrous ring. The model also included part of the left ventricle muscle and the ascending aorta.

The aortic root models are made by using CT scans of the patient to match the exact shape. They are then 3-D printed using specialized silicone-based inks that mechanically match the feel of real heart tissue the researchers obtained from the University of Minnesota's Visible Heart Laboratories. Commercial printers currently on the market can 3-D print the shape, but use inks that are often too rigid to match the softness of real heart tissue.

On the flip side, the specialized 3-D printers at the University of Minnesota were able to mimic both the soft tissue components of the model, as well as the hard calcification on the valve flaps by printing an ink similar to spackling paste used in construction to repair drywall and plaster.

Physicians can use the models to determine the size and placement of the valve device during the procedure. Integrated sensors that are 3-D printed within the model give physicians the electronic pressure feedback that can be used to guide and optimize the selection and positioning of the valve within the patient's anatomy.

3d printed soft material 속에 pressure sensor를 넣어 제대로 했는지 안했는지 알려준다. 

 

reference

"3D printed patient-specific aortic root models with internal sensors for minimally invasive applications" Science Advances (2020). advances.sciencemag.org/lookup … .1126/sciadv.abb4641