Growing human-scale scala tympani-likein vitrocell constructs

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Advancements in bionic devices require innovative preclinical testing methods.
• Current preclinical and clinical studies face significant time, regulatory, and cost barriers.
• In vitro tissue models offer a promising solution to accelerate product development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer human-scale cochlea models for high-throughput evaluation of cochlear implants.
• To compare mould-casting and stereolithography 3D printing for creating scala tympani-like structures.
• To develop a platform for testing cochlear implant efficacy and safety on the bench.

Main Methods:

• Utilized novel mould-casting and stereolithography three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques.
• Fabricated hydrogel structures mimicking the spiral morphology of the human scala tympani.
• Assessed hydrogel structure viability for cell adhesion and cochlear implant accommodation.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed human-scale, scala tympani-like hydrogel structures.
• Demonstrated that these structures support viable cell adhesion.
• Confirmed the ability of the hydrogel models to accommodate cochlear implants for testing.

Conclusions:

• Engineered hydrogel models provide a viable platform for testing cochlear implants.
• These in vitro models can help overcome barriers in bionic device development.
• The developed technology facilitates high-throughput evaluation of next-generation cochlear devices.