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Some kids with complex heart conditions benefit when a 3D model is used as part of their treatment plan.

The Ganatra 3D Printing Laboratory at Atrium Health Levine Children’s printed its first heart model in 2018. Since then, we’ve printed over a hundred more for adults and children and have expanded to serve other facilities and specialties, like neurosurgery and orthopedics.

In addition to being the only health system in Charlotte with 3D printing technology, we were the first in the region to use it for procedure planning. With anatomically accurate models, we can better understand each patient’s unique condition and shape a treatment strategy specific to them.

How 3D printing works

If your child’s care team decides a 3D model would be beneficial, here’s what happens:

  • Step 1: Get the necessary imaging. We use high-resolution images that accurately show the anatomy of interest (the part of the body we’re evaluating). The most common sources are CT scans, MRIs or other images that can be converted to 3D.
  • Step 2: Create a 3D model. This is a process called “segmentation.” It’s where we create a three-dimensional computer model of the anatomy of interest and convert it to a PDF.
  • Step 3: Send it to print. It can take a few hours up to a whole day to print the model, depending on the model’s characteristics. The printer lays down thousands of very thin layers of an acrylic liquid, which hardens into a solid under UV light. As more and more layers are added, the 3D model is formed.

Atrium Health Levine Children's 3D Printing Lab

The Ganatra 3D Printing Laboratory at Atrium Health Levine Children’s printed its first heart model in 2018. Since then, we’ve printed over a hundred more for adults and children. Our lab is the only facility in the Charlotte region, and one of only a handful in the country, using it for procedure planning.

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