Printing 3D hearts
3D printers have created the darnedest things: acoustic guitars that strum and guns that shoot, women’s high-heeled shoes, lights, clocks and even custom-fitted fabric.
Cardiology now has a dab in it with the creation of one silicone heart that pumps blood like a human heart. It’s cryptic and lacks the stamina and longevity of a real one, but it’s a start.
A study recently published in Artificial Organs looked at the effectiveness of the heart created by a team of scientists in Switzerland. The artificial heart is comparable to a real one although it lasts only about 3,000 beats, about 30-45 minutes of life, when the material gives out from strain. It has a right and left ventricle, separated by an additional chamber, not the septum. The chamber is inflated and deflated by pressurized air that allows fluid to pump from the chambers.
The objective of the feasibility test was to create a heart roughly the size of a human one that imitates it in form and function. The team is eyeing new directions in the development of artificial hearts. In future studies, they hope to improve resilience so it could sustain a real patient’s life. Ideally, once reliable enough it could keep patients alive who are waiting for heart transplants.
It’s early but enthusiasm is building as economical 3D-printed models might someday also serve as surgery planning devices and great ways to learn about complex and unique anatomy. Physicians could practice surgery or procedures without the use of cadavers. Perhaps unique or modified devices could be created to fix anomalies or congenital issues or sustain patients as they await transplants. Stay tuned.
Mary joined TriMed Media in 2003. She was the founding editor and editorial director of Health Imaging, Cardiovascular Business, Molecular Imaging Insight and CMIO, now known as Clinical Innovation + Technology. Prior to TriMed, Mary was the editorial director of HealthTech Publishing Company, where she had worked since 1991. While there, she oversaw four magazines and related online media, and piloted the launch of two magazines and websites. Mary holds a master’s in journalism from Syracuse University. She lives in East Greenwich, R.I., and when not working, she is usually running around after her family, taking photos or cooking.