Accurate Heart Model for Pacemaker Development in SFF

Medical imaging combined with SFF techniques were used to create detailed CAD and physical heart models for commercial development of Pacemakers. Using a data set of 2D optical slice images of the human heart at 1mm spacing obtained from the Visible Human Project, a 3D CAD model was constructed by masking the features of interest in each slice. Normals on the resulting .stl file were inverted to create a single-piece mold, which was built in starch using 3D Printing. Flexible silicone was cast into this mold, and the starch was dissolved away to produce the final physical heart model. The resulting model simulates the mechanical properties of an actual heart, with medically accurate internal and external details including major veins & arteries, coronary sinus, etc.