Abstract
Scaffolds for tissue engineering enable the possibility to fabricate and form biomedical implants in vitro, which fulfill special functionality in vivo. In this study, free-standing Nickel–Titanium (NiTi) thin film meshes were produced by means of magnetron sputter deposition. Meshes contained precisely defined rhombic holes in the size of 440 to 1309μm2 and a strut width ranging from 5.3 to 9.2μm. The effective mechanical properties of the microstructured superelastic NiTi thin film were examined by tensile testing. These results will be adapted for the design of the holes in the film. The influence of hole and strut dimensions on the adhesion of sheep autologous cells (CD133+) was studied after 24h and after seven days of incubation. Optical analysis using fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that cell adhesion depends on the structural parameters of the mesh. After 7days in cell culture a large part of the mesh was covered with aligned fibrous material. Cell adhesion is particularly facilitated on meshes with small rhombic holes of 440μm2 and a strut width of 5.3μm. Our results demonstrate that free-standing NiTi thin film meshes have a promising potential for applications in cardiovascular tissue engineering, particularly for the fabrication of heart valves.
Highlights
The development of new scaffolds for tissue engineering is a challenging task that has become of increasing interest in the last decade
Tensile test samples were prepared with the long axis of the rhombic holes oriented longitudinally and transversally to the pulling direction in order to compare the mechanical properties of the thin film in both directions (Fig. 2)
Our results demonstrate that cell adhesion is regulated by the size of the holes and struts presented by the NiTi mesh
Summary
The development of new scaffolds for tissue engineering is a challenging task that has become of increasing interest in the last decade. A tissue engineering approach in general for generating biomedical implants has various promising applications. This is the case for bioprosthetic cardiovascular implants. NiTi thin film technology allows the fabrication of complex geometrical structures with micrometer precision from materials with high cyclic mechanical stability [6]. In this regard, NiTi has already demonstrated great potential as a biomaterial for heart valve leaflets [7,8]
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