With a legacy of leading-edge clinical and scientific research and innovation, such as performing the first open-heart surgery in 1952, the University of Minnesota continues to make groundbreaking discoveries, ensuring that patients benefit from the latest advancements in medical science.

The Medical School’s Visible Heart® Laboratories is continuing that reputation by being at the forefront of using artificial intelligence (AI) to solve problems in the medical field.

Saving hours and potential lives through AI-assisted models

Over the last 30 years, the lab’s researchers have built patient-specific 3D models of human organs including hearts, lungs and even the whole human body.

To create a model of a heart for example, they select one of the 100 human hearts in their collection that they’ve made beat and function on their own, called isolated heart reanimation, which is a practice that no other lab worldwide has been able to replicate. Then, researchers use a micro CT scanner and combine it with code they’ve created to build the 3D model, which can help improve surgical outcomes.

“We also use pre-procedural planning with clinicians and make 3D models that help them better prepare for surgery that could involve repairs, placing a stent or replacing a valve for example,” says Paul Iaizzo, director of the lab and Medical School professor. “After the surgery is complete, we can make another model to evaluate its success.”

Building these models, however, can be incredibly time consuming.

For approximately the last 10 years, the lab’s researchers have been developing code for using AI, in combination with the CT scans, to help build the models. This not only saves them numerous hours per model generation, but aids in recognizing patterns or anomalies in the scanned organs including unique anatomical features related to congenital defects or disease progression.

Advancing medical knowledge worldwide

While these models generated with the help of AI are not yet used to help real patients because medical regulation is strict, they are used for virtual device prototyping and can still help better train physicians, medical residents and fellows.

“The 3D or augmented reality models can be used to teach in medical schools,” says Javier Navarro Rueda, assistant professor for the lab, who has helped the lab expand its use of “3D+ technologies” (e.g., imaging, computational modeling, 3D models, augmented realities and virtual realities). “We can also show them to high school students to encourage them to become organ donors.”

The lab’s findings are even shaping patient and community health worldwide: their 3D-printed high resolution computational models have been shared around the globe.

“We share these models with other industry or economic groups so they can use them to do virtual prototyping, education and physician training,” says Iaizzo. “Our mission is to educate the next generation of medical device innovators and have expertise in human anatomy and physiology.”

Learn more about the Visible Heart® Laboratories.