Three‐Dimensional Printed Model Fabrication and Effectiveness Evaluation in Fetuses With Congenital Heart Disease or With a Normal Heart

Abstract

Objectives-The purpose of this study was to investigate the technical feasibility and accuracy of applying 3-dimensional (3D) printing of normal and abnormal fetal hearts based on spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) volume-rendered data. Methods-Spatiotemporal image correlation volume images of 15 healthy fetuses and 15 fetuses with cardiac abnormalities were collected, and Mimics software (Materialise NV, Leuven, Belgium) was used to postprocess the volume data to obtain a 3D digital model of fetal heart and large blood vessel morphologic characteristics and to output the file to a 3D printer for printing the 3D model of the fetal heart and large blood vessels. The effect accuracy of the 3D printed model was qualitatively evaluated by showing the 3D anatomic structure of the model combined with echocardiographic or autopsy results, and the dimensional accuracy of the 3D printed model was quantitatively evaluated by comparing the measured data of the model and echocardiography. Results-In all 30 fetuses, STIC volume data of the fetal heart were successfully reprocessed and printed out, which could visually display the morphologic characteristics of the fetal heart chamber and passage of the great vessels under normal and abnormal pathologic conditions. No significant differences in all of the heart size parameters were found between the 3D digital model, 3D printed model, and routine echocardiographic images (all P > .05). Moreover, the size parameters were concordant well between the methods, and all of the data points fell within the limits of agreement. Conclusions-It is feasible to 3D print the fetal heart using STIC volumetric images as the data source, and the 3D printed model can fully and accurately display abnormal anatomic structures of the heart.

Quantitative Assessment of 3D Printed Model Accuracy in Delineating Congenital Heart Disease

“…Mowers et al compared a 2D echo with digital 3D models and 2D echo with printed 3D models, and showed a difference of 0.0 mm and 0.3 mm, respectively [26]. Other studies showed a strong correlation between 3D models and digital images but did not report the mean differences [27][28][29][30].…”

Feasibility Analysis of 3D Printing With Prenatal Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Fetal Abnormalities

“…9 In comparison with CT and MRI, 3DUS is a safe, accessible, widely used, and preferred technique for prenatal diagnosis, and it is increasingly used for 3D printing. Several studies have mainly focused on cleft lip and palate 11,13 and congenital heart disease (CHD)s 15,16 in this regard. To show the deformities in different parts, MRI or CT was supplemented for a better view and diagnostic clarification.…”

The Role of 3D Printing in Planning Complex Medical Procedures and Training of Medical Professionals—Cross-Sectional Multispecialty Review

“…This approach is valuable by providing an in vitro individual model to study alternations in flow dynamics in challenging heart defects as well as for parents to understand the complexity of cardiac anomaly [ 114 ]. Even a spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) technology to display the spatial structure of the fetal heart seen on 2D screens does not provide as much information as a physical 3D-printed model [ 115 ].…”