You’ve heard of 3D-printed auto parts, robots and even clothes, but a 3D-printed membrane for your heart is definitely out there.
Scientists at the University of Illinois and Washington University have made giant strides towards developing an artificial membrane that can keep hearts beating at a healthy rate and predict heart attacks before they happen.
The scientists began by taking scans of a rabbit’s heart, generating a 3D model of it and printing the model using a 3D printer. The 3D-printed model was then used as a mold to create a silicon membrane custom-fitted to the rabbit’s heart.
The heart was then removed, and the 3D-printed silicon membrane attached to it. Amazingly, the heart kept beating at a perfect pace even though it was outside the bunny’s body.
It is hoped that this technology will be ready for use on human patients in 10-15 years.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Artificial Heart Membranes
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop improved 3D-printed membranes for artificial hearts to enhance their functionality and potential use in human patients.
- Heart Health Monitoring
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create advanced heart monitoring systems that can predict heart attacks before they occur, utilizing technologies like 3D printing and data analysis.
- Personalized Biomedical Devices
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore personalized 3D printing technologies to create customized biomedical devices, such as heart membranes, tailored to individual patients' needs.
Where This Applies
- Biomedical Engineering
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Drive advancements in biomedical engineering to develop groundbreaking technologies for improving heart health and personalized medical devices.
- 3D Printing
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Revolutionize the field of 3D printing by expanding its applications to include complex biomedical devices, enabling advancements in healthcare.
- Healthcare Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Pioneer new healthcare technologies that combine 3D printing, AI, and data analysis to revolutionize heart health monitoring and treatment.
