Three-dimensional virtual anatomic fit study for an implantable pediatric ventricular assist device

Abstract

An innovative pediatric ventricular assist device (PVAD) is being developed to treat young patients (2.5kg-15kg) with severe heart failure that otherwise have very few options due to their small size. To optimize the design of the PVAD for the target patient population, three-dimensional anatomical compatibility studies must be conducted. The aim of this project was to evaluate the utility of three dimensional reconstructions to obviate fit studies in human subjects. Serial CT scans of the thorax of one child were obtained as part of routine treatment. The images were enhanced by adjusting the contrast of the images and segmented semi-automatically prior to 3-D reconstruction. The results were visualized as surface renderings of the rib cage and heart. This data was then amended with solid models of the implantable hardware, including the PVAD and cannulae. Manipulation of the relative orientation of the components revealed surgical challenges that may be anticipated and motivated design modifications to improve the anatomic compatibility. Unique challenges associated with these data sets include the availability of pediatric CT images and difficulty of segmentation due to the small scale of the anatomic features as compared to the resolution of the images. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.