Congenital heart disease is a very tough disease, affecting as many as the United States alone more than 40,000 newborn babies a year. Although there are some treatments make some children with congenital heart disease to get a more healthy life, but they are not universally applicable. This intermediate biggest problem is due to differences in each person's anatomical structure. Its performance is not the same out of the heart defect. By the cardiac implant grafts to treat, but requires a perfect match of the implant patient's condition - and not always feasible. In addition, current implant transplant often prone to progressive obstruction, infection, lack of negative impact on growth potential and the like. In fact, if a patient from 10 - 15 years after the case, the graft failure rate within the range of 70 to 100%.
Fortunately, the development of 3D bio-printing provides a viable alternative scheme that uses biodegradable materials for patients’ customized vascular implant. Researchers professors John Fisher at the University of Maryland and his tissue engineering and biomaterials laboratory has been working to develop a biodegradable scaffold manufacturing platform.
Although before the Heavenly agency has also been reported in several 3D printing functionality can be vessels, but these vessels are often only suitable for large organs and other tissues, it is not suitable for the heart. More importantly, the needs of patients with congenital heart disease are those implants immediately after manufacture sufficient mechanical strength.
They therefore set out to develop a functional full 3D printing acellular vascular implant. In particular, they used a biocompatible material is called a polypropylene fumarate (PPF) of. This is a biodegradable polyester, which comprises a carbon - carbon double bond, which makes it possible to establish a connection between the polymer chains - this feature makes it very suitable for 3D printing or as a functional tissue bracket. However, to make it available 3D printing, also needs to be mixed together with DEF (in accordance with 5: 4 weight ratios).
When in actual 3D printing, the research team used a DLP light curing rapid prototyping technology, they affect the data use SolidWorks software to design a 3D model based on MRI and CT, and then based on DLP technology EnvisionTEC Perfactory P4 3D printer to print out a customized vessels implant. "3D printing implants effective length of 7 mm, a width of 2 mm." The researchers added.
Ultimately, the research team found that the PPF stent can adhere well to the cell structure and verify its efficacy in mouse cardiac venous system. This proves that by resorting to 3D printing technology to develop these vascular grafts can significantly reduce the steps necessary for manufacturing the stent. More importantly, the scientists see these PPF and mechanical properties exhibit the same native vascular grafts. Therefore, they think this PPF 3D printing technology and materials in custom stent aspect great potential, and accordingly will also be of great help to patients with congenital heart disease.
