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November 23rd, 2020

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Physical models of organs and tissues have many uses in clinical medicine, particularly when preparing for challenging surgeries. Naturally, the heart is commonly modeled using 3D printing to most closely mimic the nuances of unique patient anatomies. This is useful when preparing for procedures such as mitral valve repairs, but typically this is accomplished using printers that lay down layers of hard plastic or rubber that mostly only replicate the shape of the heart. The elasticity, on the other hand, is very much unlike that of real human hearts.

A team at Carnegie Mellon University has now managed to print a 3D model of a patient's heart using alginate, derived from seaweed, that closely replicates how cardiac tissue actually feels. That means that cardiac surgeons can actually try performing their procedures on such models, cutting and suturing them in preparation for actual interventions.

"We can now build a model that not only allows for visual planning, but allows for physical practice," said Adam Feinberg, the team lead. "The surgeon can manipulate it and have it actually respond like real tissue, so that when they get into the operating site they've got an additional layer of realistic practice in that setting."

The team's technique is called Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (FRESH) technique, which we covered in the past. It relies on injecting bioinks into a soft hydrogel, which is then melted away using heat to reveal the final objects made from the bioinks. In this latest development, FRESH was refined and expanded to build complete 1:1 mimics of actual patient hearts based on tomography data obtained from MRI scans.

In addition to serving as physical models, tissues and organs printed using FRESH have the potential to host living cells. This can mean that highly realistic experimentation would be possible on model hearts that behave like real things, and of course this opens the potential for biosynthetic hearts built for transplantation.

Here's a Carnegie Mellon video of the researchers explaining their work in their own words:

More from the American Chemical Society:

Flashbacks: 3D Printed Cardiac Components; Researchers Release Instructions to Convert 3D Printers Into Bioprinters

Study in ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering: FRESH 3D Bioprinting a Full-Size Model of the Human Heart

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Highly Realistic 3D Printed Human Hearts

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Physical models of organs and tissues have many uses in clinical medicine, particularly when preparing for challenging surgeries. Naturally, the heart is commonly modeled using 3D printing to most closely mimic the nuances of unique patient anatomies.

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Author: Medagadget Editors

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The accuracy of this 3D printed model is still yet to be known especially depending on if tissue is hypertrophied or dilated. Will the alginate be able to mimic weakening of the heart tissue? The patient does have to have a MRI in order to get a perfect picture of the heart to be printed, which can be difficult to transfer in critically ill patients. The article and the videos did not talk about how accessible the material Alginate is and if there is a certain amount of it in the world. This innovation is still in its infancy and there is a lot more we can learn about how 3D printing can improve healthcare.

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As a cardiac ICU nurse in a pediatric hospital. This new FRESH 3D print model could improve surgery outcomes on critical patients. Our team has 3D printed out hearts in the past but the ability to feel the tissue and actually attempt a procedure on a 3D print out heart before surgery could help surgeons understand how a surgery may go and what processes they need to take. This innovation could become a standard for future cardiac cases. I think this new method could be a huge game changer in the medical world and I am very excited to learn more and see this innovation be incorporated in everyday practice.

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This 3D printed model can help surgeons and other specialities understand and practice concepts and interventions, in order to improve patient care and outcomes. This FRESH 3D printed model can enhance our knowledge and understanding of certain organs and could show more findings of this method in the future. The Alginate is an inexpensive material and can be used outside the 3D printed setting. The FRESH technique can also be used to print kidneys and livers in the future.

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A team at Carnegie Mellon University advanced the 3D printing world by now being able to 3D print out a heart with the same elasticity as the tissue of the heart. The team used a part of seaweed called Alginate that mimics the feel and texture of tissue. This allows surgeons to practice and get a feel for how the new valve or procedure will go before actually operating on a patient. The team has called it the "Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (FRESH)." The hope is that this help improve cardiac surgeries and find more ways to use this new 3D print in the future.

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https://youtu.be/4NUGQTFH5dI

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3D-Printed, Lifelike Heart Models Could Help Train Tomorrow’s Surgeons | Headline Science

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Article: Highly Realistic 3D Printed Human Heart's

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Article: Highly Realistic 3D Printed Human Heart's

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1. Carter: Communication  Carter will be the big communicator between the group as he makes sure everyone is on the same page and up to date. He will be able to communicate and explain to other health care professionals in an effortless way.
2. Randall: Responsibility.  Randall with his top strength of responsibility will keep everyone accountable and make sure all policies and procedure are being conducted correctly. Randall will make sure everyone is on top of their tasks and keeping us on track with our innovation.
3. Sheila: Strategic.  Sheila will be the background coordinator as her strength is strategic. She is will help coordinate and find health care professionals and patients who can utilization this innovation. Sheila will also be able to handle any issues and think of different, out of the box way to fix the issue.
4. Fernando: Focus Fernando with his strength of focus will be utilized as learning the ins and out of the new 3D printing method of FRESH. Fernando will be able to use precision and know which areas our team need to focus on.
5. Matthew: Maximizer. Matthew as the maximizer will make sure our team is doing the most to bring this new innovation to light. He will be our promoter and make sure all uses and benefits of that technology will be used. Matthew will help improve and motivate our team.

This team by working together will form great results and utilize the FRESH 3D heart model to the fullest potential.

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1. Developer
2. Arranger
3. Includer
4. Positivity
5. Belief

My strengths execute myself as the leader and cheerleader of the team. I will motivate and handle the overall team in an uplifting manner. I will make sure as a developer to develop roles for each member of my team that fit their strength. With each team member task , I want to help them grow and improve in their field and strength. As an includer, I will make sure each member of my team is updated and included in every step of the process to create an open communication. The includer and arranger strength will coincide together by arranging appropriate team meetings for check in times and keeping the team accountable and up to date on deadlines and team tasks. Lastly my belief strength will carry our team to complete our goal and succeed in implementing this innovation. These five strengths will help our team implement the FRESH 3D printed model in a positive team environment.