Enhancing mimetic three-dimensional modeling and printing for presurgical planning applications: Improved soft tissue assesments, analyses and consolidation strategies

Mimetic three-dimensional (3D) printing has been shown to enhance presurgical planning and improve patient outcomes. However, data inconsistencies and non-optimized soft tissue data management strategies have impaired efforts to characterize soft tissues and translate biophysical values to 3D printing media durometers and shore values. As a result, finished models are inconsistent and exhibit reduced mimetic qualities. Improving biophysical characterizations of soft tissues, analysis strategies, and consolidation infrastructures are important factors that will improve 3D modeling in a presurgical planning setting. In our ongoing associated studies, both physiologically viable and formalin fixed large mammalian tissues (including human) were assessed using uniaxial and biaxial testing strategies. Biophysical datasets were analyzed using a gated analysis strategy, tailored to data acquisition methods developed within the University of Minnesota Visible Heart® Labs (VHL). A SQL database was then constructed to consolidate analyzed data for future retrieval. This strong preliminary data is a foundation for further development and refinement of future studies. It is our long-term goal that these strategies be improved and adopted to enhance the mimetic qualities of 3D presurgical planning models.