3D Liver Modeling for Pediatric Transplant – 3D and Quantitative Imaging Laboratory

3D Liver Modeling for Transplant Planning

Collaborators: Intermountain Healthcare

Children awaiting liver transplant may be removed from the waitlist due to death or progressive illness. Size mismatch between donor and recipient accounts for a significant portion of organ refusal, making accurate assessment of liver size and anatomy a critical part of transplant planning, particularly in pediatric cases where margins are limited.

In this prospective multicenter study, patient-specific 3D liver models were used across the transplant workflow, including preoperative planning, real-time evaluation during organ procurement, and intraoperative navigation. Model accuracy was assessed by comparing calculated volumes to actual liver explants, and outcomes in living donor hepatectomy were evaluated against a matched retrospective cohort.

Publication Link:PubMed

Figure A: 3D rendering of the provided 3D printed liver mold.

Figure B: A 3D rendering of the provided 3D printed liver vasculature.

The 3DQ Lab contributed by producing the physical models used in this workflow. Intermountain generated patient-specific 3D liver models from clinical imaging, including segmentation and volumetric analysis. To improve durability and cost, a mold-based approach was used, casting silicone liver models rather than relying on direct 3D prints. The 3DQ Lab created the supporting components, including an ABS mold for casting and PolyJet-printed vascular structures positioned within the model.

These models showed strong agreement with actual liver volume, supporting their use for donor–recipient size matching and transplant planning. In living donor cases, their use was associated with more efficient procedures, including shorter hospital stays and fewer complications. This approach also enables reusable, patient-specific models for training and simulation, supporting more consistent evaluation in complex pediatric transplant scenarios.

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