Personalized 3D printed models created from cardiac imaging data, mainly from cardiac CT images have been increasingly used in cardiovascular disease, primarily in the preoperative planning and simulation of complex surgical procedures, as well as medical education.

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3D printed models are proved to be highly accurate in replicating normal anatomy and cardiac pathology with reported differences less than 0.5 mm between 3D printed models and original sources images. Further to these applications, a new research direction of utilizing 3D printed models is to study the optimal CT scanning protocols in cardiovascular disease with the aim of reducing radiation dose while preserving diagnostic image quality.

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To achieve this goal, an appropriate printing material is essential to ensure that the printed models possess elasticity and flexibility similar to normal tissue properties. Zhonghua Sun, a John Curtin Distinguished Professor and medical imaging researcher from Curtin University, Australia has been in search of suitable 3D printing materials to print realistic models, and more importantly, to print cardiovascular models with similar tissue properties to replicate heart and aortic arteries. Prof. Sun’s research interests lie in 3D image visualization and diagnosis; 3D printing, virtual reality and artificial intelligence in medical applications, specifically in the cardiovascular […]

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