3D-Printed Cardiac TEE Plane Models (Resuscitative TEE Project)

Description

A set of four sectioned heart models, each cut along a standard transesophageal echocardiography imaging plane: mid-esophageal four-chamber, mid-esophageal long axis, transgastric short axis and mid-esophageal bicaval. Developed by the University of Pennsylvania Division of Emergency Ultrasound/Center for Resuscitation Science with Thomas Jefferson University's JeffDESIGN Health Design Lab for the Resuscitative TEE Workshop. Learners hold the two magnetically joined halves apart to see exactly which chambers, valves and vessels a given TEE (or transthoracic) view slices through, bridging 2D echo images and 3D anatomy. The models derive from the Bramlet & Cross (2016) heart on the NIH 3D Print Exchange, re-cut along each echo plane and split into 'top/base' or 'base/apex' pairs. Print in PLA with the exterior on the build plate, then epoxy magnets into the pre-modelled holes so halves snap together. They are not scanned with ultrasound themselves; they are companions to simulators such as HeartWorks. Limitations: solid PLA is not ultrasound-compatible. Site trademarks belong to ResUsMedX LLC.

Materials

PLA (silver recommended for internal contrast); 6 mm x 1.75 mm round magnets fixed with epoxy; print with heart exterior facing the bed to reduce internal supports

Print Settings