Stratasys, one of the big 3D printing companies, has announced the release of its new BioMimics line of 3D printed human anatomy models. The products are designed to be used in clinical training and to help design and test new medical devices.

The company is first releasing bone and heart models, with vascular structures expected to be available early next year. The models can have simulated disease areas that can further help in testing new products and for training clinicians how to do delicate surgical procedures. The company hopes that the printed BioMimics models will help alleviate the necessity for animal and cadaver models, while offering an easier-to-use product line that may be just as effective in many cases.

The models are available as a service, with companies and research institutions ordering exactly what they need for their applications. Stratasys in turn returns multi-material prints that can be both hard and soft, have different feel and textures, and that mimic a lot of the characteristics of the anatomy they’re copying.

“BioMimics is a revolution in medical modeling, capitalizing on advanced 3D printing techniques for clinically accurate representations of complex human anatomies – from microscopic patterns of tissue to replicating soft to hard texture of body structures,” said Scott Rader, GM of Healthcare Solutions at Stratasys. “Armed with unmatched realism of BioMimics, researchers, educators and manufacturers can finally utilize the tools to prove out new ideas long before clinical trials, and demonstrate innovations to the skilled physicians who rely on them.”