A beating heart model 3D printed from specific patient data

In this article, a method for manufacturing of heart models is presented. These models are created from CT or MRI data and are patient specific. They are applied to surgical planning in cardiac surgery to obtain more information of the anatomical structure. The models were produced using a 3d printing technology based on starch, allowing highlighting different sections of the model by colors and creation of flexible models, which can be handled easily. In addition, the motion of the heart was coarsely simulated with such a model.