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In‐body tissue‐engineered aortic valve (Biovalve type VII) architecture based on 3D printer molding
Author(s) -
Nakayama Yasuhide,
Takewa Yoshiaki,
Sumikura Hirohito,
Yamanami Masashi,
Matsui Yuichi,
Oie Tomonori,
Kishimoto Yuichiro,
Arakawa Mamoru,
Ohmuma Kentaro,
Tajikawa Tsutomu,
Kanda Keiichi,
Tatsumi Eisuke
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.33186
Subject(s) - heart valve , pulsatile flow , biomedical engineering , aortic valve , 3d printer , materials science , regurgitation (circulation) , thrombus , sinus (botany) , anatomy , medicine , cardiology , biology , mechanical engineering , botany , engineering , genus
In‐body tissue architecture—a novel and practical regeneration medicine technology—can be used to prepare a completely autologous heart valve, based on the shape of a mold. In this study, a three‐dimensional (3D) printer was used to produce the molds. A 3D printer can easily reproduce the 3D‐shape and size of native heart valves within several processing hours. For a tri‐leaflet, valved conduit with a sinus of Valsalva (Biovalve type VII), the mold was assembled using two conduit parts and three sinus parts produced by the 3D printer. Biovalves were generated from completely autologous connective tissue, containing collagen and fibroblasts, within 2 months following the subcutaneous embedding of the molds (success rate, 27/30). In vitro evaluation, using a pulsatile circulation circuit, showed excellent valvular function with a durability of at least 10 days. Interposed between two expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts, the Biovalves ( N = 3) were implanted in goats through an apico‐aortic bypass procedure. Postoperative echocardiography showed smooth movement of the leaflets with minimal regurgitation under systemic circulation. After 1 month of implantation, smooth white leaflets were observed with minimal thrombus formation. Functional, autologous, 3D‐shaped heart valves with clinical application potential were formed following in‐body embedding of specially designed molds that were created within several hours by 3D printer. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 103B: 1–11, 2015.