Caterpillar Digs 3D Printed Hearts

When you think of cardiology innovations, the name Caterpillar Inc. doesn’t often come up. But the heavy equipment and construction company has collaborated with OSF HealthCare to design 3D printed hearts for surgical planning.

OSF’s Jump Simulation Center, the American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate, and the National Institute of Health established a 3D Heart Library in Peoria, IL, where 3D heart models are designed. The models are created using X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. The models are used to help physicians make medial decisions and plan for surgeries. The Center has designed 60 hearts for more than a dozen different medical facilities.

Where does Caterpillar come in? The company is working with the Jump Simulation center to create hearts out of more life-like materials. Previously, Jump had difficulty scaling their printed heart models, and could only print with rigid materials. Caterpillar’s lab, however, was able to create models using flexible photo polymers that could provide different levels of density.

Having flexible models allows doctors to practice surgeries on the model in advance, which can help ensure success during the actual operation.

Caterpillar has already established a significant additive manufacturing presence in Illinois, with its 3D Printing and Innovation Accelerator in Mossville. Engineers from the company’s Marketing and Digital Additive Manufacturing Factory worked with Jump on converting the patient images into printable files.

“To get the full capability of a 3D printer, you have to have to have engineers who know how to use it. And so many 3D printers that have popped up, don’t,” says Dr. Matthew Bramlet, pediatric cardiologist and Jump’s Advanced Imaging and Modeling program director. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the models we’re getting from Caterpillar’s lab are top-notch, because you don’t just have a printer. Your engineers are top-notch and you have quality. That’s remarkably demonstrated when we get a model back.”

Source: BOSS Magazine