Inside the 3-D printed model of a human heart valve, black regions represent the location of actual calcium deposits. (Credit: Rob Felt, Georgia Tech)

Using highly detailed imaging from CT scans, mechanical engineers are using 3D printers to make an exact model of an individual patient’s heart valve. The models are created by a machine that is capable of multimaterial 3D printing. The researchers can adjust the design parameters — such as diameter and curving wavelength — of the metamaterial used for printing, which allows them to more closely mimic physiological properties of the tissue. They have also embedded sensors on the models using a machine that can print nanomaterial-enabled circuitry on the wall of the valve.

These one-of-a-kind models not only represent the size and proportion of the heart valve but can also mimic its physiological qualities — such as how it feels and responds to pressure. The tool could help cardiologists care for patients with heart valve disease. The 3-D printed heart valve models are particularly useful in planning a minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), during which heart doctors use a catheter to deliver a prosthetic heart valve to replace the patient’s impaired valve.

Source