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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Development and Evaluation of 3D-Printed Cardiovascular Phantoms for Interventional Planning and Training
Published on: January 18, 2021
Quantitative Prediction of Paravalvular Leak in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Based on Tissue-Mimicking 3D
Zhen Qian1, Kan Wang2, Shizhen Liu1
1Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Piedmont Heart Institute, Atlanta, Georgia; Marcus Heart Valve Center, Piedmont Heart Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
Objectives:
This study aimed to develop a procedure simulation platform for in vitro transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using patient-specific 3-dimensional (3D) printed tissue-mimicking phantoms. We investigated the feasibility of using these 3D printed phantoms to quantitatively predict the occurrence, severity, and location of any degree of post-TAVR paravalvular leaks (PVL).
Background:
We have previously shown that metamaterial 3D printing technique can be used to create patient-specific phantoms that mimic the mechanical properties of biological tissue. This may have applications in procedural planning for cardiovascular interventions.
Methods:
This retrospective study looked at 18 patients who underwent TAVR. Patient-specific aortic root phantoms were created using the tissue-mimicking 3D printing technique using pre-TAVR computed tomography. The CoreValve (self-expanding valve) prostheses were deployed in the phantoms to simulate the TAVR procedure, from which post-TAVR aortic root strain was quantified in vitro. A novel index, the annular bulge index, was measured to assess the post-TAVR annular strain unevenness in the phantoms. We tested the comparative predictive value of the bulge index and other known predictors of post-TAVR PVL.
Results:
The maximum annular bulge index was significantly different among patient subgroups that had no PVL, trace-to-mild PVL, and moderate-to-severe PVL (p = 0.001). Compared with other known PVL predictors, bulge index was the only significant predictor of moderate-severe PVL (area under the curve = 95%; p < 0.0001). Also, in 12 patients with post-TAVR PVL, the annular bulge index predicted the major PVL location in 9 patients (accuracy = 75%).
Conclusions:
In this proof-of-concept study, we have demonstrated the feasibility of using 3D printed tissue-mimicking phantoms to quantitatively assess the post-TAVR aortic root strain in vitro. A novel indicator of the post-TAVR annular strain unevenness, the annular bulge index, outperformed the other established variables and achieved a high level of accuracy in predicting post-TAVR PVL, in terms of its occurrence, severity, and location.
