1Case Study

Simulating
Reality With
3D Printed
MedicalModels

2 2Advancing Medical Modeling for
Improved Research, Training and Economics

Document
CaseStudyTitle HereThe medical breakthroughs that cure disease,restore health and prolong life aren’t created in avacuum. They rely on the convergence of visionary
minds and cutting edge technology. Both arenecessary, and the Jacobs Institute (JI) in Buffalo,
New York, is the embodiment of this reality. The JI’s
mission is to pursue next-generation technologies
in the treatment of vascular medicine. It doesthat through a potent collaboration of physicians,engineers and industry, dedicated to finding newways to improve the treatment of vascular disease.
3D printing is one of the ways the JI has leveraged
technology. Early on, JI physicians and biomedical
engineers recognized its value for creating realistic
medical models. These models are used to validate
new medical devices and prepare for difficult
procedures, ultimately resulting in more effectivetreatments.

In particular, multimaterial 3D printing, with its
unique ability to create soft and hard textures,
enabled the JI to replicate patient-specific vascularmodels. These models allow Dr. Adnan Siddiqui,
chief medical officer at the JI, to rehearse complex
vascular procedures, greatly increasing the odds ofsuccessful patient outcomes. “Before 3D printing,
we really had no real alternatives to utilize therehearsal methodology that is so easily available tous now,” related Dr. Siddiqui.

3 3This human spine model incorporates both rigid and flexible materials.

But despite this capability, the JI had reachedthe limits of current 3D printing materials. To staytrue to its mission of innovation, new technology
was needed. That meant new materials with arealistic feel and response, more representative ofreal human tissues. Human cadavers and animalmodels provide a close approximation, but they
can’t replicate specific human pathologies. They
can also be costly to acquire and maintain.

Document
Case
StudyTitle Here“One of the questions we’ve repeatedly heard fromour customers, both medical device customers
as well as hospitals, is the need for biomechanicalaccuracy,” said Scott Drikakis, Stratasys healthcare
segment leader. “Our medical device customers,
as well as our hospitals, have asked us for asolution that allows specific anatomies, and more
importantly, specific pathologies that give them thecontrol to print whatever they need on demand,”Drikakis added.

To meet that need, Stratasys developed theJ750™ Digital Anatomy™ 3D printer. The Digital
Anatomy printer creates medical models withincredible realism that accurately represents
the appearance and response of human tissue.
Whether for surgeon training or testing new
medical devices, these models provide unmatchedclinical versatility.
For Mike Springer, vice president of technology andoperations at the JI, the Digital Anatomy printerprovides the needed next step in medical modelingtechnology. “We use 3D printing not only to test
devices, but also to train. Digital Anatomy printing
has really given us more tools to do that,” Springer
related. “Certain materials that we’ve used to printout these models over the last six, seven, eight
years, were at their limits. Digital Anatomy printing
really gives you the control and the tunability todesign the model the way the physician needs it forthe patient they’re trying to treat,” he added.

4 4Three new materials specifically designed for
medical modeling applications set the Digital
Anatomy printer apart from other solutions.
TissueMatrix™ is an incredibly soft, translucent
material, ideal for replicating the look and feel ofheart tissue. BoneMatrix™, as its name implies,
is a strong yet flexible material with the rightconstituency to represent bone and connective
tissue. GelMatrix™ is a support material designed
for easy removal from vascular models with small
inner diameters and thin walls.
The attributes of these materials have beenvetted by medical device centers like the JIin the effort to achieve a new level of realism.
“The Jacobs Institute has conducted third party
testing to compare how these materials compare

biomechanically to native tissue, to specificanatomies and pathologies that you’d expect
to see in practice,” said Drikakis. “We’re reallyproud to be the first company to focus on thebiomechanical properties and establish baseline
published data that shows how those materials
react, compared to native tissue, bone anatomy
and pathologies.”
Realistic materials are only half of the story,
however. Combined with GrabCAD Print™
Digital Anatomy™ software, the result is a powerfulsynergy that makes the Digital Anatomy printer thenext generation in 3D printed medical modeling.
Specifically designed for medical applications, thekey benefit of GrabCAD Print software is the ability
to select specific human anatomical tissue withDocument
Case
StudyTitle Here

Removing a vascular model from the Digital Anatomy printer.

5 5“dropdown menu” simplicity. Stratasys applicationengineer Evan Hochstein knows its benefits welland highlights how the software does all the heavy
lifting in the medical modeling design phase. “Withthe J750 Digital Anatomy printer and GrabCAD
Print, we can now go in and actually select specificanatomies. If we want a femur for a 70 year old,
we can do that. If you want a femur for a 20 year
old, we can do that. We can vary the density of ourstructures on our bones,” Hochstein said.

This all comes back to the mission of medical
device innovation centers like the JI, which is toleverage technology in the pursuit of better medicaltreatment. It’s a role that the Digital Anatomy printerserves well. The JI’s Mike Springer sees a bright
future for this technology. “Digital Anatomy printing
I think is going to be the standard. We’re using(it) in applications we’ve never done before. It’s
exciting to see where it’s going to go.”

The JI’s Mike Springer agrees. “GrabCAD print
now allows us to really select certain materials ona point by point voxel-based approach. And whatthat means is we can actually control the dropletby-droplet composition of these models that weuse. I think it really changes the way we design andmanufacture the models that we print,“ Springersaid.

DocumentCaseStudyTitle Here

This 3D printed vascular model is being used to train on the removal of a clot.

GrabCAD Print Digital Anatomy software offers powerful simplicity for creating
highly realistic medical models.

6Stratasys Headquarters

Case Study

7665 Commerce Way,
Eden Prairie, MN 55344+1 800 801 6491 (US Toll Free)+1 952 937-3000 (Intl)+1 952 937-0070 (Fax)

1 Holtzman St., Science Park,PO Box 2496
Rehovot 76124, Israel+972 74 745 4000
+972 74 745 5000 (Fax)stratasys.com
ISO 9001:2015 Certified© 2020 Stratasys. All rights reserved. Stratasys, and the Stratasys Signet logo are registered trademarks of Stratasys Inc.
J750 Digital Anatomy, GrabCAD Print Digital Anatomy, GelMatrix, TissueMatrix, and BoneMatrix are trademarks of Stratasys,Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and Stratasys assumes no responsibility with regard tothe selection, performance, or use of these non-Stratasys products. Product specifications subject to change without notice.
CS_PJ_ME_Jacobs Institute_0120a