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Engineering Heart Valve Interfaces Using Melt Electrowriting: Biomimetic Design Strategies from Multi-Modal Imaging
Michael J Vernon1,2,3, Jason Lu1,3, Benjamin Padman4
1T3mPLATE, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, and UWA Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|October 27, 2022
Summary
Researchers engineered complex aortic heart valve scaffolds using melt electrowriting (MEW). Bioinspired design, mimicking collagen, resulted in scaffolds with mechanical properties similar to natural valves.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Biological tissue interfaces are crucial for overall function, particularly in the aortic heart valve.
- Existing methods lack the ability to replicate the complex interfacial architecture of native heart valves.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer user-defined, complex interfaces for aortic heart valve scaffolds using melt electrowriting (MEW).
- To investigate bioinspired design strategies for MEW scaffolds that mimic native tissue interfaces.
Main Methods:
- Multi-modal imaging to analyze collagen in native aortic valve interfacial regions.
- Investigated overlapping, suturing, and continuous printing methods for MEW scaffold interfaces.
- Developed novel software for generating G-codes for complex MEW scaffold designs.
- Fabricated a singular MEW scaffold incorporating gradient porosity, variable layer numbers, and tailored fiber orientation.
Main Results:
- Identified distinct collagen characteristics in unexplored aortic valve regions (commissure, inter-leaflet triangle).
- Continuous printing interfaces demonstrated superior morphological, tensile, and flexural properties compared to overlapping and suturing methods.
- The bioinspired MEW scaffold exhibited mechanical properties (yield strain, hysteresis, relaxation) comparable to porcine heart valves.
Conclusions:
- Melt electrowriting can create complex, bioinspired scaffolds for the aortic heart valve's interfacial region.
- Continuous printing interfaces offer enhanced mechanical performance for engineered heart valve scaffolds.
- This bioinspired approach successfully addresses the functional complexity of native aortic heart valve interfaces.
