Reproduction method for dried biomodels composed of poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogels

Models mimicking the realistic geometries and mechanical properties of human tissue are requiring ever-better materials. Biomodels made of poly (vinyl alcohol) are particularly in demand, as they can be used to realistically reproduce the characteristics of blood vessels. The reproducibility of biomodels can be altered due to dehydration that is observed after long periods of usage. In order to improve their usability, one should consider the method used to reproduce them; however, few studies have reported a method reproduce biomodels. This study proposes a novel reproduction method for biomodels that allows them to quickly and easily reproduce their geometric and mechanical properties. Specimens of the dried biomodels were reformed through immersion in temperature-controlled water. Our results show that water at 35 °C can be effective to reproduce both the geometric and mechanical properties of the specimens. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed that water immersion can reform the crystal structure of the pre-dried specimens, and images obtained using micro-computed tomography acquisition show that the geometry of the specimens can be reformed by water immersion without introducing any defects. These results indicate that the proposed method can lead to high reproducibility of both the original geometric and mechanical properties of the dried biomodels.