Taking personalized care to a whole new level
Dmitry Levin, lead research scientist at the Center for Cardiovascular Innovation (CCVI), is analyzing cardiovascular care, and developing solutions even Captain Kirk would be impressed with. Equipped with a fleet of 3-D printers, and a plethora of innovative expert proceduralists ready to user test, the CCVI is 3-D printing patient specific medical data right into the hands of practitioners like cardiologist Mark Reisman to study patient issues in a physical manner. These 3-D printed hearts allow for an overall better understanding of the procedure, ultimately leading to successful and safer outcomes for the patients. With each print comes the hope of eliminating general, off-the-shelf testing materials, creating an environment for physicians to practice under which will be almost a 1:1 comparison when the procedure date arrives.
Currently, the lab is focused on procedures involving catheters, progressing the benefits of shorter recovery times, and affordability all with the same effectiveness of open surgery. Open the doors to the CCVI lab and you’ll find flexible prosthetic hearts from real patient images and scans, with very real hearts lined up along the wall, and cadavers for students, fellows, and physicians alike to practice with. As the rise in use of catheters to replace aortic valves over open heart surgery continues, the quicker all patients will be able to receive an all new level of specialized care.
For a complete interview on the inner workings of the CCVI, check out the recent blog post from the UW Medicine Newsroom.
About the CCVI
CCVI is an integrated platform consisting of experts in cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac anethesiology, radiology and engineering, collaborating in the development, translation and clinical implementation of diagnostic and therapeutic devices to reduce the burden of suffering from Cardiovascular disease. The Center's main focus is on the development of cardiovascular devices for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral artery disease, structural heart disease, heart failure and heart rhythm disorders. They provide education and training in various devices, as well as integrate such training into hands-on experiences through anatomy and dissection. The CCVI's cadaveric perfusion/imaging model bridges experimental/investigational devices to commercial application, continuting to progress through device iteration and education.
Projects include work in transcatheter mitral and aortic valves, left ventricular assist devices, devices focused on stroke reduction, vascular access and closure devices, left atrial appendage occlusion, imaging of coronary artery plaque, lipid holographic imaging and additive manufacturing (3D printing). Works such as the “first in cadaver” model has introduced a method to bring the safest and most effective devices into the medical environment. By continuing to refine and modify the model, along with other future 3D printed tools, the world of medical technology is sure to grow, with UW placing itself as a leader for such development.