Anthropomorphic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Artificial Circulatory System for Medical Device Testing: 3D Reconstruction from CT Scans

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an irreversible balloon-like dilation of the abdominal aorta. Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) is the main surgical treatment for AAA, which involves the insertion of a graft inside the aneurysm. This procedure involves certain complications such as graft migration and graft-related endoleaks. To monitor such complications patients are required to undergo regular follow-up imaging surveillance. Studies have proposed monitoring graft functioning by using a chronically implantable device. The device is implanted at the time of the EVAR surgery and avoids the need for radiological imaging surveillance. This study has proposed a 3D-printed AAA latex model and an artificial circulatory system for the AAA models. The proposed 3D model and its artificial circulatory system can be used as a platform for future in vitro testing and optimization of chronically implantable devices for post-EVAR surveillance. The artificial circulatory system can also be used to show the response of the latex model to different haemodynamic conditions. In this study, a 3D Slicer software was used to convert the Computed Tomography (CT) images of real patients into anthropomorphic 3D AAA models. The 3D models were printed to create the mould. The final latex model was created by dipping the mould in liquid latex. The latex model was connected to the artificial circulatory model. To mimic the physiological parameters of the human heart, the pulsatile pump FlowTek125 was connected to the AAA model. To mimic the properties of blood, distilled water was pumped through the AAA model. The study was successful in recreating an anthropomorphic AAA artificial circulatory system. The proposed model can be used for experimental studies, particularly those focused on developing novel implantable devices for post-EVAR stent monitoring.