Chapter 10 - Multimaterial Cardiovascular Printing

Abstract

Tissues are hierarchical structures comprising many different materials that allow them to sustain, and adapt to, demanding mechanical and chemical stresses. The location, amount, and presence of materials can vary depending on a particular disease state. Understanding the different materials that comprise these tissues gives insight into the diagnosis and prognosis of an individual, since ultimately such material properties dictate the function of these tissues. 3D printing has the advantage of fabricating complex structures using a layered approach. For cardiovascular applications, this technology can be used for a variety of purposes, such as 3D models to visualize anatomy, surgical planning for device deployment, and direct fabrication of tissue. The ability to 3D print multiple materials allows the printed part to better recapitulate the tissue being mimicked, whether for visualization or functional purposes. In this chapter, we will review the different tissue types that comprise the cardiovascular system and the current state of literature that utilizes multimaterial 3D printing for either clinical or research applications related to the cardiovascular system.