Scores of sea lions continue to beach themselves along the Southern California coastline, stricken with sickness . Toxic algae blooms are to blame, though a mechanical engineering innovation could shift the tide in favor of the marine mammals.
UNLV-led research published in Scientific Reports , a Nature Portfolio journal, successfully developed a synthetic California sea lion pelvic region, mimicking its bone and soft tissue. This allows medical professionals to conduct blood collection training on anatomically authentic models, improving efforts to treat the live animals.
"The sky is the limit with this project," said Daniel Fisher, UNLV engineering graduate researcher and the study's lead author. "We're trying to lay the groundwork for novel implants or procedures that can improve both human and animal lives, along with the environment."
The pelvic organs are 3D-printed models that closely resemble the internal skeletal features and anatomical contours of their biological counterparts. They look, feel, and carry blood flow like a sea lion's actual pelvic region – the typical site for their blood collection.
These models are made possible through heaps of DICOM data (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine), the standard file format for medical scans, later recreated in 3D conversion software.
"I believe that through careful simulation and anatomical modeling of our DICOM data, we're able to 3D print any vein or arterial structure of a body," said Fisher. "Through the use of micro-CT scans or MRIs, we're able to get more detailed in our manufacturing, giving surgeons and veterinarians a way to practice any procedure."
Smart Living
Fisher is part of the Active Materials and Smart Living Lab alongside his mentor Kwang Kim, a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering and publication co-author. Kim is regarded as one of the world's leading researchers in the space of soft robotics – technology capable of stretching, twisting, and squeezing in ways that could improve medical outcomes.
And that's exactly what these pelvis models are: smart materials, or artificial muscles reacting to electrical stimuli or mechanical pressure.
"This study was on sea lions, but it could effectively be something else," said Kim. "There are many applications where this soft robotics research will benefit society at the end of the day. There are a lot of sociological impacts."
With these 3D models, surgeons can be trained how far their needle needs to go into a patient – in this case, a sea lion – or how the body responds to certain procedures. They simulate the tactile response trainees would expect on the live subject.
"Instead of using carcasses or cadavers, they can actually look at the lifelike organ," he said. "You can imagine or read something, however, that can only take you so far. Having an authentic structure to train with is a unique opportunity with boundless potential. I think this is the tip of the iceberg."
The researchers are continuing to build on their existing work, testing structural interactions with their soft robotics in water that could prove useful in further advancements.
"My hope is to look at biocompatible materials that could restore a person's hand function, or using an implanted artificial muscle," said Fisher. "The more immediate impact is improving these veterinary procedures and benefiting the sea lions, but hopefully benefitting humans one day, too."
Publication Details
" Scalable DICOM 3D-printed phantoms mimicking marine mammal bone and soft tissue " was published on Jan. 21, 2025 in the journal Scientific Reports. Authors come from UNLV and the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program. In addition to Fisher and Kim, co-authors include Nazanin Minaian and Abby McClain. The work was supported by UNLV, the U.S. Army Research Office, Office of Naval Research, and the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program.
