Case Study: Cleveland Clinic Foundation achieves precise, rapid 3D models for Total Artificial Heart development with 3D Systems (Geomagic)

ADC And Geomagic Help Cleveland Clinic Bring Total Artificial Heart Closer To Reality

Cleveland Clinic researchers, led by Dr. William A. Smith, are developing the MagScrew Total Artificial Heart (TAH) to provide a permanent solution for patients with end-stage heart failure. A critical challenge was accurately capturing the complex, ergonomic internal geometry of the blood pump chambers—geometry that directly affects flow patterns and can prevent blood damage—using methods faster and more precise than traditional CMM measurement.

Advanced Design Concepts (ADC) used white‑light scanning and Geomagic Wrap (from 3D Systems) to generate an accurate 3D solid model, imported into Pro/ENGINEER and validated with Geomagic Control/Qualify. The team corrected the CAD to within 0.010" of the original part in under a day—saving weeks of work, reducing cost, and clearing a major manufacturing hurdle to bring the TAH closer to clinical reality.

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Stephan Weber

Senior Research Engineer in the Department of Biomedical Engineering