Prototyping and Testing of a Novel Simulator of Congenital Heart Diseases for Hands-on Surgical Training

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are structural birth abnormalities of the heart, requiring complex surgical treatment due to anatomical variability and the small size of the affected structures. Hands-on surgical training is essential, and recent advancements in 3D printing have enabled the creation of detailed heart models. However, 3D printed models often lack the mechanical properties of real human tissue. Silicone offers a promising alternative, due to its varied hardness levels and cost-effectiveness. This study aims to propose and test a novel simulator for CHD repair procedures, with a silicone heart model. A pediatric heart with a ventricular septal defect (VSD) was considered and a simulation environment was designed based on the dimensions and proportions of an infant’s chest, incorporating a modular platform with a rib cage. A silicone heart was successfully manufactured via a single-piece injection molding procedure. The process used a soluble internal material and a multi-part external shell. The full simulator setup was evaluated by 6 surgeons to address anatomical accuracy and suitability in surgical training of CHD. Despite some limitations and drawbacks were highlighted, the presented solution was found to be an overall useful tool for enhancing surgical training in CHD repair.