Transport equipment manufacturer, Caterpillar began a very interesting enterprise that is different from its own service segment. Making a collaboration with OSF Healthcare for 3D printed heart design, the firm attracted interest for its technology leadership and versatility.
Being a world leader in transport and lifting equipment, the company uses its experience for 3D medical projects. Supporting rapidly growing medical 3D sector, Caterpillar also benefitted from OSF’s medical expertise.
Collaborating for this project OSF Healtcare and Caterpillar enables surgeons to practice before an important heart surgery. So a successful treatment was performed to Ty Dozier who hada a congenital heary disease that thickened his left ventricle and prevented blood flow. Doctors had no choice but to slice out a section of overgrown muscle inside the heart and they succeeded. The result? Dozier could breathe again; “I was losing my breath easily and coughing a lot,” Dozier said. “I feel like an elephant has been lifted off my chest.”
The first model was a cross-section, printed in clear material, with colored arteries, which allowed the doctors to see specifically how the arteries went through the heart muscle abnormally. The second model was printed in a flexible material, which allowed the surgeon to identify exactly which portion of muscle needed to be removed, and actually practice the surgery on the model.
3D Heat Library Offers Advantage for Both Students and Surgeons
3D printed surgical models have been used for several years now, and are becoming more and more frequently used. However, despite the growth of medical 3D printing, there are still relatively few guidelines, precedents, and best practices for actually making models such as the one prescribed for Dozier’s case. OSF wants to change all that by creating a 3D Heart Library that will act as a repository for cases like Dozier’s. The library will allow medical professionals to access and peer review 3D printable models submitted by clinicians, allowing the entire medical community to pitch in and improve the practice of 3D printing surgical models.
“There are many physicians utilizing 3D modeling for the treatment of congenital heart disease, but there aren’t any best practices for utilizing the technology,” said Dr. Matthew Bramlet, director of the Jump Advanced Imaging and Modeling Program. “Establishing a peer-review process will drive standardization and increase the quality of 3D digital models around the world.”
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