Thanks to the 3D printing advances, Ma Chengqiang, 16, and eight-month-old Yang Youhong from northwest China's Qinghai Province have both undergone life-saving heart surgery in Shanghai.
“The computers help transfer 2D pictures of the patients’ hearts into 3D ones. Use the 3D models, doctors can clearly see the internal structure of the patients’ hearts and make diagnosis,” said Liu Jinfen, a professor from Shanghai Children's Medical Center.
3D model of a patient’s heart. /Shanghai Children's Medical Center Photo
The two patients are among the beneficiaries of a China-Belgium charity project launched in April by Shanghai Children's Medical Center and Belgium's Materialize NV, one of the largest 3D printing software and service providers in the world.
The project provides free treatment, especially with 3D printing technology, for children diagnosed with congenital heart disease from underdeveloped regions in western China, said Ji Qingying, deputy head of the medical center.
Professor Liu Jinfen from Shanghai Children's Medical Center explains the situation to his patient, Ma Chengqiang, with a 3D model of his heart. / Shanghai Children's Medical Center Photo
Every year, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center conducts more than 3,700 heart operations on children, leading the world in the number of such operation. A heart surgery usually costs 80,000 to 100,000 yuan (11,600 to 14,500 US dollars) in China.
(Source: Xinhua, The Paper)
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