Three-dimensional printing to facilitate anatomic study, device development, simulation, and planning in thoracic surgery.

Background: The development and deployment of new technologies in additive 3-dimensional (3D) printing (ie, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing) in conjunction with medical imaging techniques allow the creation of anatomic models based on patient data.

Objective: To explore this rapidly evolving technology for possible use in care and research for patients undergoing thoracic surgery.

Methods: Because of an active research project at our institution on regional lung chemotherapy, human pulmonary arteries (PAs) were chosen for this rapid prototyping project.