PhD student creates 3D-printed babies to help medical training
A Dutch PhD student at Eindhoven's University of Technology has created models of babies with functioning organs using 3D printing. The models comprise the spine and rib cage, which contain the internal organs, and were based upon MRI scans of real babies. The major organs have sensors to monitor blood pressure, stress and impact during trial procedures, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the intention is to provide doctors and nurses with detailed preparation and training opportunities. 

A PhD student has created models of babies with functional organs using 3D printing.

He created functional organs and internal structures based on MRI scans of real babies.

By creating these detailed models, he hopes to help surgeons and nurses experience as close to the real thing as possible when practicing surgeries and medical procedures.

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Mark Thielen (pictured), a PhD candidate at Eindhoven's University of Technology in the Netherlands, used 3D printing for his models because of the organic shapes you can create with them. Here he's putting together the components of the manikin

Mark Thielen, a PhD candidate at Eindhoven's University of Technology in the Netherlands, used 3D printing for his models because of the organic shapes you can create with them.

'Without 3D printing, this work would have been impossible,' he said.

'The sheer complexity of human anatomy is very hard to recreate realistically with any other production method, not to mention the cost and time differences.'

The manikin's have all their major internal organs equipped with sensors to monitor measurements such as pressure, stress and impact during trial procedures such as CPR.

The Manikin has two key components - a rib cage with a spine that houses the internal organs.

To find the right material to model a babies internal structures, Mr Thielen tested 15 different structures to find out their properties under stress.

He worked with 3D printing company 3D Hubs to make the internal organs using thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) rubber and used PolyJet 3D printing to create molds because they can be rapidly changed if needed and can successfully print the small details on the organs.

Compression testing to check how much force the rib cage can take and how it affects the internal organs and flow of a liquid used to simulate blood

A material called 'thermoplastic elastomer' was used to 3D print the rib cage as well as the internal organs

Testing apparatus for pushing fluid through lungs and to test pressure and flow inside the model rib cage

These 3D printed rib cages house the 3D printed internal organs. The manikins have all their major internal organs

PolyJet Mold for the creation of the heart using flexible material as support (black) and rigid plastic as the surround (white)

Pictured is a silicon heart created from a 3D printed mold. The heart has functioning, highly detailed valves

'Due to the extremely small sizes of neonantal organs, as well as their miniscule detail, the only way to create a mold for these parts was to 3D print them,' he said.

Material jetting, a process where a printer jets melted wax onto a structure, was used to create the molds.

For example, he created a heart that needed to have highly detailed working valves, but removing the structure from a normal mold would have damaged the details of the heart model, so he used flexible materials at the points most sensitive to damage, such as the valves, to keep the heart model intact.

To find the right material to model a babies internal structures, Mr Thielen (pictured) tested 15 different structures to find out their properties under stress

Mark Thielen worked with 3D printing company 3D Hubs to make the internal organs using thermoplastic rubber and used PolyJet 3D printing to create molds. Pictured is a mold for the lungs

The researcher used PolyJet 3D printing because they can be rapidly changed if needed and can successfully print the small details on the organs. Pictured is a model of the heart

Pictured is the mold used to create the model lungs. Material jetting, a process where a printer jets melted wax onto a structure, was used to create the molds

Flexible materials were used at the points most sensitive to damage, such as the valves, to keep the heart model intact

'Due to the extremely small sizes of neonantal organs, as well as their miniscule detail, the only way to create a mold for these parts was to 3D print them,' said Mark Thielen, the PhD student who designed the manikins

Once the model rib cage and the organs are combined, Mr Thielen runs a fluid through the manikin with cameras and sensors installed in it to obtain live feedback on every part of the manikin throughout trial procedures.

The liquid models blood and acts as a type of signal when pressure is too much or too little alongside the cameras and sensors monitoring the liquid's flow around the manikin.

While the manikin is still in development, Mr Thielen hopes they'll help medical professionals around the world improve procedure success.

While the manikin is still in development, Mr Thielen hopes they'll help medical professionals around the world improve procedure success

Mark Thielen (pictured), the researcher who designed the manikins, comparing the prototyping process from basic Desktop 3D printing to 3D hubs TPE print

Compression testing to check how much force the rib cage can take and how it affects the internal organs and flow of blood (liquid) around the manikin

Compressing the rib cage of TPE 3D print. While the manikin is still in development, Mr Thielen hopes they'll help medical professionals around the world improve procedure success

Pictured are functioning silicon lungs made with a PolyJet mold, with an air pump to simulate working lungs

But his manikins could also have other applications outside of helping newborns.

'I believe that developing and advancing what we started here can aid medical research in a broader scope,' said Mr Thielen.

'We could potentially create realistic patients models of other body parts to strengthen medical training for emergency procedures and pregnancies.'

Mr Mark Thielen (pictured) removing the silicon from the mold. 'We could potentially create realistic patients models of other body parts to strengthen medical training for emergency procedures and pregnancies,' he said

Mr Thielen placing a tube with liquid into the model rib cage for compression testing. The liquid acts as a type of signal when pressure is too much or too little alongside the cameras and sensors monitoring the liquid's flow around it

Pictured is Mr Thielen testing the flexibility of the 3D printed organs. The organ's are based off MRI scan's of newborn babies

Mr Thielen checking the neonatal MRI scans to export the relevant files of the structures to prepare for the 3D printing