Researchers from Kentucky are producing individually tailored 3D-printed heart models for patients and physicians at $5 apiece, according to a July 26 article from 3Dprintingindustry.com.
The group, led by Dr. Michael Winkler from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, is creating patient-specific 3D-printed models primarily to aid presurgical planning for cardiac procedures that require new heart valves or stents.
"Fitting patients with new heart valves or stents is challenging because everyone's anatomy is slightly different in size and shape," Winkler said in the article. "Doctors are very good at 'guesstimating,' but about one-third of the time their guess is off and a $30,000 valve has to be thrown away."
Beyond presurgical planning, clinicians can use the 3D-printed models to simulate procedures and educate patients about their condition and surgical treatment, Winkler and colleagues noted.
