Last technological advancement in additive manufacturing for cardiovascular applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Materials Science

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM) is increasingly utilized in medical applications.
• Cardiovascular medicine benefits from AM for device improvement, patient-specific models, and graft prototyping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review research and development in AM for cardiac and vascular surgical guides and synthetic grafts.
• To highlight the use of 3D-printed patient-specific models in cardiovascular surgery.
• To provide an overview of current AM strategies, materials, and solutions for cardiovascular care.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent advancements in additive manufacturing for cardiovascular applications.
• Analysis of AM strategies, materials, and their impact on surgical guides, grafts, and patient models.
• Synthesis of current research trends and future outlook.

Main Results:

• AM is crucial for developing patient-specific cardiovascular models and surgical guides.
• Prototyping of synthetic grafts for cardiac and vascular applications is advancing with AM.
• 3D-printed models are widely used for pre-surgical planning in cardiovascular interventions.

Conclusions:

• Additive manufacturing offers significant potential to enhance cardiovascular medical devices and surgical interventions.
• The technology facilitates personalized medicine through patient-specific models and custom-designed implants.
• Continued research in AM materials and strategies promises further improvements in cardiovascular patient outcomes.