Paul Iaizzo, PhD, shows how a 3D printed anatomic model can be used for medical device testing. [Credit: U of M Medical School | Visible Heart Laboratories]
Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) has donated Stratasys J750 Digital Anatomy 3D printers, as well as MakerBot Method X and MakerBot Sketch 3D printers, to the University of Minnesota’s Visible Heart Laboratories.
Located at the University of Minnesota Medical School, the Visible Heart Laboratories helps medical students, medical device creators, and many others utilize the benefits of 3D printing technology and anatomic models.
“The Visible Heart Laboratories are driven to train the next generation of medical device developers and provide them with the abilities to 3D print prototypes and/or virtually placed devices within real heart anatomies, as today these are considered essential skills,” said Paul Iaizzo, the medical school professor in charge of the Visible Heart Laboratories.
The Visible Heart Laboratories also house the University of Minnesota Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy, a collection of more than 800 human hearts that can be recreated with 3D printing technology for education and medical device testing and development.