With the support of a developer of medical technology, a research team from the University of Minnesota have produced patient-specific 3D-printed models of the heart’s aortic valve.

Funded by Medtronic, the models include all of the features that associate with this area of the heart, whilst the remaining structures of a patient’s sternum area can also been mimicked. 

The reason for this idea is to help and prepare doctors place a new valve within a patient’s native aortic valve – a procedure called a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). This is carried out to treat aortic stenosis, which is a condition where the blood flow from the heart into main artery is reduced due to the aortic valve contracting. 

According to Science Daily, these models are produced by using CT scans of the patient’s sternum area. Once the scans have been obtained, they are then 3D-printed using specialized silicone-based inks that mechanically match the feel of real heart tissue.

“As our 3D-printing techniques continue to improve and we discover new ways to integrate electronics to mimic organ function, the models themselves may be used as artificial replacement organs,” said Michael McAlpine, a senior researcher and mechanical engineering professor from the University of Minnesota.

“Someday maybe these ‘bionic’ organs can be as good as or better than their biological counterparts.”