Electrospun bioresorbable heart valve scaffold for tissue engineering

Currently marketed mechanical or biological prosthetic heart valves are regarded as valid substitutes for native heart valves suffering from degenerative pathologies. These devices require strict follow-up due to dysfunctions or post-surgical complications. Potential drawbacks of these medical devices are calcification, tearing of the cusps, thromboembolism and hemolysis. In this context, a tissue engineering approach offers a promising alternative scenario. In this paper, a trileaflet poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) heart valve scaffold prototype has been manufactured by electrospinning technique using a custom-made rotating target. Process parameters were selected in order to achieve suitable microstructure and mechanical performance. The electrospun heart valve prototype was functionally characterized by means of a pulse duplicator in order to evaluate the mechanical/hydraulic response to the imposed testing conditions. Leaflets synchronously opened in the ejection phase and the proper apposition of the leaflets prevented high leakage volumes in the diastolic phase. This preliminary study suggests a successful perspective for the proposed approach in designing a novel tissue engineered bioresorbable heart valve.