Artificial blood vessels, created through an innovative 3D printing technology, could help in the treatment of heart disease, according to researchers at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering and Heriot-Watt University.
The synthetic vessels, strong, flexible, gel-like tubes, may improve heart bypass surgery by replacing the human and synthetic veins currently used to re-route blood flow.
According to the researchers, synthetic vessels could help limit scarring, pain, and infection risk associated with the removal of human veins.
Creating the synthetic vessels is a two-stage process. In the first stage, a rotating spindle integrated into a 3D printer is used to print tubular grafts made from a water-based gel. In the second stage, the printed graft is reinforced in a process known as electrospinning, which uses high voltage to draw out very thin nanofibers, coating the artificial blood vessel in biodegradable polyester molecules. Tests showed the resulting products to be as strong as natural blood vessels.
Principal investigator Dr. Norbert Radacsi commented, “The results from our research address a long-standing challenge in the field of vascular tissue engineering – to produce a conduit that has similar biomechanical properties to that of human veins. With continued support and collaboration, the vision of improved treatment options for patients with cardiovascular disease could become a reality.”
The study was published in Advanced Materials Technologies.