An international German-Australian team has developed 3D-printed artificial heart valves designed to allow a patient’s own cells to form new tissue. In the human body, four heart valves keep blood flowing in the right direction. In order for the valves to open and close properly, their tissue is heterogeneous, which means that the valves themselves exhibit different biomechanical properties.
For the first time, researchers have mimicked this heterogeneous structure using a 3D printing process called “electro-writing”. A biodegradable scaffold with different mechanical properties has been achieved through a manufacturing process that combines different precise and personalized patterns. The long-term goal of this work is to create implants for children that grow into new tissue and can last a lifetime.
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