Rady Children's 3D Lab Prints Patient Models to Help Surgeons Plan Complex Cases

Engineers at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego turn CT and MRI scans into physical models and virtual simulations that surgeons can hold, cut, and rehearse with before operating on children. The lab has supported more than 3,200 cases since it opened in 2018.

From Scan to Model

Justin Ryan founded the Webster Foundation 3D Innovation Lab in 2018. The facility is the first of its kind in Southern California. The team takes DICOM data from CT and MRI scans, reconstructs the anatomy in software, then prints the result in a material that mimics bone or tissue density. Most models come from CT because the spatial resolution is higher than MRI.

Surgeons use the printed models to plan complex procedures. For pediatric heart transplants, the shortage of child donors often forces teams to implant adult hearts. The size mismatch is risky. A 3D-printed model lets the surgical team test fit and geometry before the patient is on the table.

The lab also builds virtual reality simulations. Surgeons can walk through the anatomy from every angle and practice tricky steps in a risk-free environment. That rehearsal translates to shorter operations and less time under anesthesia for the patient.

More Than Surgery

The models serve a second purpose after the operation. Ryan's team reuses them for medical education and for explaining procedures to families. Showing a parent a physical model of their child's heart can bridge language barriers and reduce anxiety in ways a diagram never could.

Engineer Anna Hedberg's recent projects include custom trays for fentanyl syringes, spinal models, and throat simulators used for tracheotomy training. The lab supplied 20 neck simulators to a medical school conference. Those same simulators let residents practice a life-saving procedure without touching a real patient.

The Hurdle

Despite the clear benefits, hospital-based 3D printing remains rare. Insurance typically does not cover the cost of surgical models, so Rady Children's relies on grants and philanthropy to keep the lab running. The five engineers on staff operate five 3D printers ranging from $2,000 consumer machines to a $100,000 system that can produce FDA-cleared sterilized models.

Ryan says the lab is one of the most prolific centers of 3D-printed medicine in the United States. The work continues to expand as more surgeons request models for cases that would once have relied entirely on 2D imaging.