MadMicrobe recently completed a project showcasing Boston Scientific’s WATCHMAN device; a device implanted into the left atrial appendage of the heart to help protect patients with AFib from potential stroke-inducing blood clots.

In order to clearly show the location of the procedure within the left atrial appendage (LAA), our team needed to build a custom cross section of the heart in zBrush.  This appendage can be challenging to isolate effectively within even the most accurate 3D heart models, so we created a stylized cross section which not only shows the appendage but also clearly shows the left and right ventricles, the valves within, as well as a clear view of the right atrium.

Once the model was built and approved by the client, our team was then able to begin the process of texturing and lighting, as well as positioning the device within the LAA. Below is a test styleframe rendered using the Arnold render engine.

After identifying the assets needed for the animation, we began the look-dev process for the human figure, device and an x-ray version of the heart for use throughout some of the motion graphics sections of the video. Below are a few of our early tests.

The most challenging task of the project , and in many device projects we work on, was rigging the WATCHMAN to correctly unfurl once deployed via a catheter into the LAA. This was accomplished with many of the great rigging, mograph and deformer tools native in Maxon’s Cinema 4D.

Thanks for looking!