Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Human Cardiac Anatomy Through Multi-Scale Analysis of Hearts
Published on: June 28, 2024
A Low-Cost Workflow to Generate Virtual and Physical Three-Dimensional Models of Cardiac Structures
Philippe Grieshaber1, Alexander Schneller1,2, Elizabeth Fonseca-Escalante1
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Purpose:
Three-dimensional modeling and printing (3DMP) of anatomical structures from cross-sectional imaging data can enhance the understanding of spatial relationships in complex congenital heart defects. Partially due to the substantial financial, material and personnel resources required, 3DMP is not yet universally used. Here, we describe a workflow that addresses and eliminates these drawbacks.
Description:
The workflow utilizes the open-source software "3D Slicer" (The Slicer Community) and "Blender" (Blender Foundation) for segmentation and post-editing of datasets. This approach enables the generation of virtual or physical 3D models. The physical models are printed using a standard fused deposition modeling printer.
Evaluation:
The financial challenges that likely constrain the wider use of 3DMP are largely addressed by this approach. However, the workflow still requires a considerable amount of time to manually segment the imaging data.
Conclusions:
Three-dimensional modeling and printing might improve planning and safety of congenital cardiac surgical treatment. Furthermore, it is a useful tool for education of parents and medical professionals. This workflow increases its suitability for routine use also in regions with low economic resources.
