PDMS Anatomical Realistic Models for Hemodynamic Studies Using Rapid Prototyping Technology

The main purpose of this work is to investigate a simple way of making polydimensiloxane (PDMS) anatomically artery models such as a carotid arteries with and without aneurysm. By using a human carotid computerized tomography (TC) it was possible to develop 3D anatomical models through the application of a rapid prototyping (RP) technique, known as tridimensional printing (TDP). By combining the TDP with a PDMS casting technique we were able to obtain at the end an anatomically transparent model of a human carotid artery made by a silicon elastomer, i.e. PDMS. We believe that this combination is a promising technique to perform more realistic in vitro blood studies through anatomical models and consequently improve our current understanding of the origin and development of cardiovascular diseases. Keywords— Rapid prototyping, PDMS, anatomical models, blood vessels, hemodynamics