An inexpensive 3D-printed model of blood vessels has been found to be just as effective for medical students as the models currently used in training that can cost $2,000 to $3,000 each. 3D printing is a much cheaper alternative. These models are being used in interventional radiology vascular classes.

Printed by multiple vendors in polycarbonate and a flexible jetted photopolymer. (Source: Stanford University/Stanford Medicine Lab)

"We've come up with a viable method for creating something that's inexpensive and also customizable to individual patients," said Alexander Sheu, M.D., an interventional and diagnostic radiology resident at Stanford University School of Medicine, and lead author of the study. "The current model used to train medical students lacks the ability to replicate a patient's anatomy. Our 3-D-printed model will provide students a more realistic experience, allowing for better preparation before they perform procedures on real patients."

Often interventional radiologists choose to treat their patients with less-invasive options than surgery. A popular method involves inserting a catheter through a major artery with ultrasound guidance to reach internal organs or blood vessels. The research team tested the students' level of comfort in practice using a 3D-printed model when compared to the traditional method.

Thirty-two students were randomly given either the 3D-printed model or the traditional model during a practice simulation experience. Before this exercise, 73 percent of the 3D group and 76 percent of the traditional group said they didn’t feel confident about their potential to perform the procedure. But after the training, 93.3 percent of the students using the 3D-model and 94.1 percent of those using the traditional model said the models were easy to use and helpful for their simulations, and their confidence in their performance grew.

"Now that we know that a 3D-printed model is just as effective at training medical students in this type of procedure, this simulation experience can be made available to even more trainees and potentially improve procedural skills for residents, fellows and attendees," said Sheu. "We foresee this really making an impact in the world of interventional radiology training."

3D printers can reproduce exact blood vessels based on a patient’s CT scan and produce an ultrasound-compatible vascular access model that matches the unique pattern of a patient’s anatomy. In order to adopt 3D technology to work for this, the researchers used a tissue-mimicking material that is realistic but can still last through punctures. This material allows the medical students to practice with a replica of the patient’s anatomy before encountering the real thing. The researchers believe that this new development could help lower complication rates. They hope that they can further develop 3D-printed models of other body parts for medical students to practice on.

A paper on this research was presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting.