Surgical training requires an understanding of the human bodys complex 3-dimensional anatomical structures and the spatial relationships of nerves, blood vessels and other vital structures. Learning these spatial skills requires a lengthy training period and much practice that usually takes place in the operating room while under the supervision of a senior surgeon at great financial cost and potential risk to patients. 3D printing is also valuable in providing visualization of patient specific anatomy in a pre-operation setting. 3D printing of an anatomically accurate surgical training model requires the simultaneous high-resolution deposition of multiple materials, which match physiological geometry and mechanical properties. There is a distinct need for low cost, high-fidelity anatomically accurate synthetic physical tissue models that can be used for surgical training, anatomy education, trauma medicine, and many other purposes.
