Cardiac applications of 3D printed patient-specific models (PSMs) include surgical training, complex procedural planning, and the creation or refinement of cardiac devices. As structural heart interventions become increasingly complex, the ability to effectively model patient-specific geometry, as well as the interaction of devices within and around that geometry, becomes even more valuable to advance surgical interventions. Until now, the focus of PolyJet™ 3D printing technology and other traditional anatomical modeling methods has been on achieving precise external anatomical geometry and appearance. The next frontier in 3D printed PSMs is the simulation of the biomechanical properties of human tissue.
