MRI scans are frequently used to get a sneak peek inside the body, but the imaging usually has some blind spots which are filled in with generic heart representations. However, patients with congenital heart defects are undergoing surgery precisely because they have irregular hearts, so “generic” won’t work. To solve this, experts manually piece together sets of cross sections in order to make a 3D image. The researchers have now developed a fast and accurate way to accomplish the same thing by having experts segment a small area and letting computer algorithms do the rest. Now, medical imaging combines with image recognition software and 3D printing to quickly produce custom models of human hearts.
This drastic reduction in the amount of time it takes to create 3D models is a much more practical way for doctors to prepare for surgery. They can thoroughly explore a patient’s heart in advance, or even test different surgical approaches on the model. The researchers plan to test this new technique in a clinical study this fall, and if all goes well, the same method could be used on other organs.
