Patient-specific 3D Valve Modeling for Structural Intervention

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an advanced manufacturing technique, recently introduced in the medical field to convert clinical imaging information of anatomical features into physical replicas built through digitally guided deposition of successive layers of material. This novel clinical instrument has emerged as a confluence of advances in imaging technology, 3D printing techniques, and structural heart interventions. Both digital and physical 3D modeling are now used to better visualize patient-specific anatomic features prior to catheter-based valve intervention. This review discusses common structural heart valve problems and the imaging challenges associated with catheter-based interventions. We highlight how 3D printed modeling can be used as a tool to overcome certain limitations of 2D visualization and how such modeling can be used to plan, practice, and predict success for increasingly complex catheter-based structural heart valve interventions. An overview of current 3D modeling techniques and advances are presented, including their limitations and future directions.