3D-Printed Beating Heart Model Revolutionizes Surgery

WSU researchers develop a 3D-printed model of the left side of the heart that contracts and beats, allowing surgeons to rehearse procedures.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Researchers at Washington State University have developed a 3D-printed model of the left side of the heart that contracts and beats, offering surgeons and medical students the chance to rehearse important heart surgeries on a model that acts like the real thing. The model includes the atrium, ventricle, and mitral valve, and has a soft texture similar to a real heart. It also has pneumatic actuators that pump the model and string-like material that manages the mitral valve movement. After creating the model, the researchers printed a defective mitral valve and then successfully repaired it, with sensors on the model showing increased blood pressure in the left ventricle, indicating the valve was fully closing.

Why it matters

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and about 800,000 people undergo heart surgery annually. Training for these procedures often requires practice on animals or cadavers, which aren't patient-specific or reusable. The 3D-printed heart model developed by the WSU researchers provides a more realistic and reusable option for surgeons and medical students to rehearse heart procedures, potentially leading to improved outcomes for patients.

The details

The researchers used a scan of a real heart to 3D print a replica of the left side of the heart, which experiences the highest pressures and performs the heart's most vital functions. The model includes multiple tiny pneumatic actuators that pump the model and string-like material similar to a real heart that manage the mitral valve movement. After creating the model, the researchers printed a defective mitral valve and then repaired it using a device similar to commercially available devices. Sensors on the model showed increased blood pressure in the left ventricle, indicating the valve was fully closing, and ultrasound imaging showed the imitation blood was not regurgitating into the heart chamber.

  • The researchers report on their work in the journal, Advanced Materials Technologies.

The players

Kaiyan Qiu

Berry Family Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and corresponding author on the paper.

Alejandro Guilllen Obando

First author and a PhD candidate in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

Washington State University

The university where the researchers developed the 3D-printed beating heart model.

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What they’re saying

“It's very useful for doctors and surgeons to practice when the heart is still beating, especially for minimally invasive surgery. In our case, this model is the first fully synthetic model that, without any assistance of animal models, mimics the complete left side of the heart. We were able to incorporate both the anatomic features and the dynamic functions.”

— Kaiyan Qiu, Berry Family Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (Mirage News)

“There have been other, synthetic models that are mostly mold-casted, and one of the main limitations there is that they cannot do some of the more complex curvatures that you see in the heart.”

— Alejandro Guilllen Obando, PhD candidate, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (Mirage News)

“Our layer-by-layer approach in 3D printing allows us to add more curvature and make the chambers simulate a real heart.”

— Alejandro Guilllen Obando, PhD candidate, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers have filed a provisional patent with the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and are now working to develop a complete heart model with all four chambers and four valves. They also plan to work with medical professionals and students in the future to conduct more patient-specific, pre-surgical rehearsals on the model for different valve diseases.

The takeaway

This 3D-printed beating heart model represents a significant advancement in medical training and preparation for heart surgeries, providing a more realistic and reusable option for surgeons and medical students to rehearse procedures without the limitations of animal models or cadavers. The potential to improve patient outcomes through this technology is substantial.