Personalized 3D printed models in optimizing cardiac computed tomography imaging protocols

Patient-specific or personalised 3D printed models created from cardiac imaging data can be applied to research areas beyond the current domains of 3D printing in cardiovascular disease, which mainly focuses on pre-surgical planning and simulation, medical education and training, as well as doctor-patient communication. These areas represent the most commonly used applications of 3D printed models, in particular, use of 3D printing models on congenital heart disease is a very promising field with sufficient evidence provided by randomised controlled trials. Further, 3D printed heart models are shown to play an important role in guiding patient's surgical planning and treatment as reported by single and multi-center studies. In addition to these reported applications, the realistic physical models serve as a valuable tool in studying appropriate cardiac CT protocols for the purpose of optimizing CT scanning techniques. Zhonghua Sun, a professor and medical imaging researcher from Curtin University, Australia has been in search of new ways to acquire accurate and efficient medical images.