The Future of Cardiology with 3D Printing

In the last time 3D printing is more often used in hospitals – now even for heart operations. With a combination of 3D printing and other new techniques it should be possible to get even better results.

The A&M University in Texas has recently published a new study that shows how 3D printing could be used more effective for interventions on the heart. Therefore the study says, that a combination of high resolution CT scans, virtual reality and robots should be used. This combination makes it possible to treat the patients better fitted to them. It should also save costs and while reducing costs the results for the patients should be better.

It was not random that the study took place in Texas. The American federal state fights since years against overweight and the often associated heart problems. Some researchers have estimated that each year around 15 Million Texans are in the hospital with heart problems. One of the most important things is to early detect the heart problems. If there is any suspicion for heart disease a high resolution CT scan should be made. With the so created digital model of the heart, problems with the coronary arteries (this arteries transport the blood to the heart muscles) should be detected. That’s important because exactly this problems cause heart attacks.

If a problem is detected an operation is necessary and therefore a perfect fitted stent should be used to stretch the coronary arteries. To ensure that the perfect stent is used a 3D printer should create it with the help of the previously created high resolution model of the heart. To place the “perfect stent” a robot should help – because it is pretty difficult to place a stent in the coronary arteries.

All the mentioned techniques already exist and are already used but they are used each for its one and not together. To ensure the perfect result for each patient all this techniques should be used together. Another development is working on an electric 3D printed heart. Altogether there is a lot of research ongoing and there is lots of testing, researching and development done – all the work to give patients with heart disease a brighter future.