Case Study: Phoenix Children’s Hospital increases pediatric total artificial heart eligibility with Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite

Total Artificial Heart Implantation Planning

Phoenix Children’s Hospital faced a recurring challenge: strict anatomical criteria (minimum body surface area of 1.7 m2 and a 10 cm anteroposterior chest distance) often excluded pediatric patients from receiving Total Artificial Hearts. To address this, Phoenix Children’s Hospital used Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite to screen children who fell outside the recommended ranges and evaluate whether a SynCardia temporary total artificial heart (TAH-t) could be a viable bridge-to-transplant option.

Materialise’s solution combined patient-specific 3D reconstructions from preoperative CT scans with laser-scanned device models to perform virtual fit analyses and postoperative assessments. In one 14-year-old who did not meet conventional fit criteria, this workflow supported implantation of a 70-cc SynCardia TAH-t and, after surgery, 3D modeling confirmed no compression of pulmonary vasculature or bronchi. Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite has since expanded eligibility for TAH/VAD therapy in multiple pediatric cases and improved preoperative planning and complication analysis.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital

D. Bradford Sanders

Chief Perfusionist