3D Printing: Paving the way for Heart Treatment

  

 

Taken from International Business Times article entitled: "3D-Printed Hearts From Human Fat Cells? Scientist Says ‘Bioprinting’ Organs Possible ‘In 10 Years’"

                3D Printing has opened the door for countless ideas and possibilities to take concrete form. It allows for the creation of a three-dimensional object of any conceivable form or shape to be made. These materials come out just as they are conceived in the virtual or digital models they are based from with no need for further refinement or removal of excess materials. Though this technology has existed for quite a while already, it is only recently that widespread attention has been placed on it due to it being made available to the public market and the steady decrease of the cost of making and operating such devices capable of doing it. This technology has been utilized for all sorts of means and  projects, but do you know that it has actually been used in the treating and prediction of cardiac disorders?

An international team of biomedical engineers have created a “3-D elastic membrane made of soft, flexible, silicon material that is precisely shaped to match the outer layer of the wall of the heart (epicardum)”. Old devices could not cover the full surface of the epicardum or maintain constant contact without sutures or adhesives. The team prints tiny sensors onto the membrane that has the capability to precisely measure the temperature, mechanical strain and PH levels of the Heart along with other markers. These sensors can also deliver a miniscule pulse of electricity in order to combat arrhythmia (or irregular heart rhythm)  With these sensors, doctor are able to more accurately assess and prescribe a treatment for a patient’s disease.

"Each heart is a different shape, and current devices are one-size-fits-all and don't at all conform to the geometry of a patient's heart," says Efimov, the Lucy & Stanley Lopata Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering. "With this application, we image the patient's heart through MRI or CT scan, then computationally extract the image to build a 3-D model that we can print on a 3-D printer. We then mold the shape of the membrane that will constitute the base of the device deployed on the surface of the heart."

 

This man-made membrane can be inserted into the heart “can be used for treating diseases in the ventricles in the lower chambers of the heart” and other disorders like atrial fibrillation. In the United States alone, this could potentially alleviate the plight of roughly 3 to 5 million patients. Lead scientist Igor Efimov, Phd says that “this is only the beginning”. Through the development and usage of similar devices, medical practitioners can now start to tackle and potentially treat diseases that were formerly non-treatable. 

Today, we are making ground breaking discoveries geared towards heart treatment. But maybe tomorrow, who knows? Some scientists believe that we are actually a decade away from having enough knowledge and technology to actually create a heat out of 3D printing that can be transplanted to a human being.

Source:
"3-D Printer Creates Transformative Device for Heart Treatment" - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140225122223.htm

"3D-Printed Hearts From Human Fat Cells? Scientist Says ‘Bioprinting’ Organs Possible ‘In 10 Years’"

http://www.ibtimes.com/3d-printed-hearts-human-fat-cells-scientist-says-bioprinting-organs-possible-10-years-1483568