Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are increasingly prevalent, even among younger populations, prompting clinicians to explore innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Additive manufacturing technologies, such as fused filament fabrication (FFF) and stereolithography (SLA), enable the production of complex biological designs, with multi-material structures and the development of patient-specific biomodels for surgical planning and training. This study aims to achieve high-fidelity representations of cardiac tissues by integrating structural simulations to support the selection of suitable materials for interventional cardiology simulators. Additionally, it focuses on the fabrication of customized physical biomodels that reproduce individual clinical conditions, thereby facilitating the definition of the most appropriate interventional strategy. This study focuses on atrial fibrillation, a major risk factor due to its potential to promote the formation of blood clots, particularly in the left atrial appendage (LAA), which can lead to stroke. Moreover, atrial fibrillation is associated with the development of atherosclerotic plaques, contributing to severe complications such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Various materials were used to simulate the production of customized biomodels that replicate the biological tissue of the left atrial appendage (LAA) and to create patient-specific models to represent varying atherosclerotic conditions. The objective is to provide physicians with a platform for gaining hands-on experience prior to performing interventions.

Biography

Ana M. Amaro is an Associate Professor with a habilitation at the University of Coimbra and an integrated researcher at the Center of Mechanical Engineering Materials and Processes. She completed the Mechanical Engineering course at the University of Coimbra in 1990 and received a master’s degree and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Coimbra in 1994 and 2004, respectively. She completed a habilitation degree in 2021 at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra. She works in the area of structural integrity with emphasis on Mechanical and Biomechanical Engineering.