3D-Printed Contractile Left-Heart Model Described for Surgical Rehearsal

Washington State University researchers reported building a 3D-printed contractile left-heart model that contracts and beats, intended to let surgeons and medical students rehearse heart procedures while monitoring sensor readouts such as “blood pressure” during simulated pumping. The team performed a valve repair on the model and followed the result using ultrasound imaging and customized sensors as imitation blood moved through the system.

According to the article, the workflow began with a scan of a real heart that was translated into a layer-by-layer 3D printing process to reproduce left-sided structures. The printed anatomy was described as including the left atrium, left ventricle, and mitral valve, with a “soft texture” intended to feel similar to cardiac tissue. The investigators contrasted this approach with prior synthetic builds that are often mold-cast, describing their printing method as a way to incorporate more curvature into chamber geometry. The report presents these construction choices as the basis for adding motion and measurement elements within the same physical model.

Contractility in the reported prototype was simulated using multiple tiny pneumatic actuators that “pump” the printed heart, while string-like components were described as helping manage mitral valve movement. The article also describes circulating imitation blood through the chambers and placing sensors on the model to monitor an “imitation blood pressure” signal during pumping. In the report’s description, the model visibly contracts and beats and is described as having a soft texture similar to a real heart.

For the single demonstrated case, the article reports that the researchers printed a defective valve and then performed a mitral valve repair using a device they described as similar to commercially available devices. Assessment during and after the maneuver included ultrasound imaging of flow and sensor readouts from the model. As reported, the sensor signal was consistent with increased left ventricular pressure indicating valve closure, and ultrasound imaging was described as showing imitation blood no longer regurgitating into the atrium. The article presents this sequence as a proof-of-concept for carrying out a repair on a moving, synthetic left-heart model while observing real-time feedback.

The authors’ interpretation in the article emphasizes the model as, in their view, a fully synthetic alternative to animal models while still mimicking the complete left side of the heart with both anatomic features and dynamic function. Next steps reported include filing a provisional patent, extending the platform toward a full four-chamber heart with four valves, and planning collaborations aimed at patient-specific, pre-surgical rehearsals for different valve diseases.

Key Takeaways:

• A beating, left-sided 3D-printed heart replica was described as being generated from a scan of a real heart and printed to include the left atrium, left ventricle, and mitral valve with a soft texture.
• Motion and measurement were reported to come from tiny pneumatic actuators plus string-like elements for valve movement, alongside sensors used to monitor an imitation “blood pressure” signal during pumping.
• A defective valve repair demonstration was reported using ultrasound and sensor feedback, and the authors said next steps include a provisional patent, expansion to a four-chamber model, and patient-specific rehearsal collaborations.