Custom, 3D-Printed Heart Replicas Look and Pump Just Like the Real Thing 18
MIT engineers are hoping to help doctors tailor treatments to patients' specific heart form and function, with a custom robotic heart. MIT News reports: The team has developed a procedure to 3D print a soft and flexible replica of a patient's heart. They can then control the replica's action to mimic that patient's blood-pumping ability. The procedure involves first converting medical images of a patient's heart into a three-dimensional computer model, which the researchers can then 3D print using a polymer-based ink. The result is a soft, flexible shell in the exact shape of the patient's own heart. The team can also use this approach to print a patient's aorta -- the major artery that carries blood out of the heart to the rest of the body.
To mimic the heart's pumping action, the team has fabricated sleeves similar to blood pressure cuffs that wrap around a printed heart and aorta. The underside of each sleeve resembles precisely patterned bubble wrap. When the sleeve is connected to a pneumatic system, researchers can tune the outflowing air to rhythmically inflate the sleeve's bubbles and contract the heart, mimicking its pumping action. The researchers can also inflate a separate sleeve surrounding a printed aorta to constrict the vessel. This constriction, they say, can be tuned to mimic aortic stenosis -- a condition in which the aortic valve narrows, causing the heart to work harder to force blood through the body.
Doctors commonly treat aortic stenosis by surgically implanting a synthetic valve designed to widen the aorta's natural valve. In the future, the team says that doctors could potentially use their new procedure to first print a patient's heart and aorta, then implant a variety of valves into the printed model to see which design results in the best function and fit for that particular patient. The heart replicas could also be used by research labs and the medical device industry as realistic platforms for testing therapies for various types of heart disease. The report has been published in the journal Science Robotics.
To mimic the heart's pumping action, the team has fabricated sleeves similar to blood pressure cuffs that wrap around a printed heart and aorta. The underside of each sleeve resembles precisely patterned bubble wrap. When the sleeve is connected to a pneumatic system, researchers can tune the outflowing air to rhythmically inflate the sleeve's bubbles and contract the heart, mimicking its pumping action. The researchers can also inflate a separate sleeve surrounding a printed aorta to constrict the vessel. This constriction, they say, can be tuned to mimic aortic stenosis -- a condition in which the aortic valve narrows, causing the heart to work harder to force blood through the body.
Doctors commonly treat aortic stenosis by surgically implanting a synthetic valve designed to widen the aorta's natural valve. In the future, the team says that doctors could potentially use their new procedure to first print a patient's heart and aorta, then implant a variety of valves into the printed model to see which design results in the best function and fit for that particular patient. The heart replicas could also be used by research labs and the medical device industry as realistic platforms for testing therapies for various types of heart disease. The report has been published in the journal Science Robotics.
Why print? (Score:1)
Re:Why print? (Score:4, Informative)
Fluid dynamics isn't rocket science but a lot of rocket science is fluid dynamics. You're essentially saying we should be able to model it and then simulate the complexity computationally but such modeling likely has weaknesses you are just waving your hands over like fluid dynamics is just "easy". Here an in vitro solution is being proposed and without likely future studies, your conclusion lacks a basis.
Re: (Score:2)
"Just" is a very powerful spell word.
Be alert to "just" anything.
Re: (Score:2)
Patient: Ok, great! Wait, I had a congenital defect th.. aruhh. *thud*
Re: Is this really useful? (Score:1)
If the experience leads to the invention of the super-wanker, yes! Careful with the IOT addon, though.
'rubber' heart? (Score:1)
Re:'rubber' heart? (Score:4, Interesting)
This is not designed to be implanted or to be used as an actual replacement heart. This is created according to each and every individual's heart's actual behaviour (from scans, etc of the actual patient).
This is designed so that they can test out different stents / replacement valves, etc on this device so that they know which treatment works for a specific patient.
So, basically improvement on patient care, with possibly individualised treatments for every patient - which generally will work better then a "one size suits all" for everyone with similar issues.
Let's be honest... (Score:2)
It doesn't look anything like a real heart.
Re: (Score:2)
Not a place for Easter Eggs (Score:3)
This exciting! (Score:2)
These kinds of advancements are quite exciting actually. Who knows, maybe one day we can eventually print usable organs. My father was on the heart transplant list and essentially got lucky to receive a heart. A young man, only 18 years old, died in a car accident but was a donor and he happened to meet all the criteria to match my father. While everything worked out for my father, it would of been nice if a 3d printing option was available instead of just random luck. Other patients on the waiting list lik
Let’s upgrade instead. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
Instead of copying a heart from a person who needs a heart, how about instead we enginner the “perfect” heart design, and provide that. Why are we always aiming for the ground instead of the stars?
Probably because medical science is the one example we have of reverse engineering an alien (natural) technology. Nothing we could design for the foreseeable future could compare to the reliability, self replicating and healing, efficiency, or ongoing power supply of a regular health heart. We can’t even make basic self replicating machines. We can’t even robustly and practically use the same power source.
Better than being dead (Score:1)