PURPOSE: Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation (CPAM) is a rare congenital malformation of the lower respiratory tract found in about 1:30,000 live births. Surgical excision is normally performed between 3 and 6 months of age. Thoracoscopic resection of CPAM is technically challenging due to the small volume of chest and the large anatomic variability. Our aim was to create a 3-D model of a lung for endoscopic surgical simulation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient CT scans were converted to Stereo Lithography (STL) files and imported to our 3-D printer. We printed a ribcage, a unilateral bronchial tree and a reciprocal pulmonary arterial tree using polylactic acid filament and Polyurethane filaments for the later. For the lung tissue, we used a silicone based gel, which was poured into a lung mold we had created and into which we embedded the printed structures, and a round mass mimicking a CPAM.
RESULTS: We were able to create a 3-D model of a neonate lung that mimics physical morphology and properties of human tissue. Visual and tactile features of the model were evaluated subjectively and were consistent with lung anatomy and texture.
CONCLUSIONS:
We have successfully created a life like CPAM lung model using a specific patient’s preoperative imaging files. Future work will include validation of the model by testing it on staff and trainees, using our endoscopic surgical simulation center. Once validated, we can proceed to implement the model-based, endoscopic simulation task as part of our fellow and resident curriculum.
