Before operating on someone, it would be very helpful if cardiac surgeons could look at a physical model of that particular individual’s heart. It will actually pump fluid in the same way that a real heart pumps blood.
Building on previous research, the MIT/Harvard team developed a process that begins by converting multiple medical images of a patient’s heart into a 3D computer model. He then uses that model to guide a 3D printer to create a heart replica made of soft, stretchy polymer.
A pneumatic sleeve (similar to those used for blood pressure measurements) is then wrapped around the model. As air moves in and out of those sleeves, small bubbles on their underside expand and contract. When the bubble expands and is pushed, it contracts, and when it contracts, it returns to its original state. In this way, the model can pump liquids that are used as substitutes for real blood.
Additionally, another sleeve can be placed over the model aorta and inflated to simulate aortic stenosis (a narrowing of the aortic valve).
Doctors can then try different types of synthetic valves that are currently used to open the natural valve. In fact, when they performed the actual valve implantation surgery, the highest performing synthetic valve was already on hand and ready to go.
Scientists have so far used medical scans to 3D print models of the aorta and left ventricle of 15 patients with aortic stenosis. Not only did these models accurately reproduce the blood pressure and flow measured in the patient’s real heart, but they also responded similarly when fitted with prosthetic valves similar to those received by some patients. bottom.
“Patients do the imaging anyway, and ideally use it to create this system within the day,” says Ast of Harvard University. Christopher, co-author of the study Professor Nguyen. “Once it’s up and running, clinicians will be able to test different types and sizes of valves to see which works best, and then use that to implant.”
A paper on this research was led by Assoc at MIT. Professor Ellen Roche was recently published in the journal science roboticsSome of the heart models can be seen in action in the video below.
Patient-specific 3D printed soft robotic heart
Source: MIT
