Development and study on mechanical properties of small diameter artificial blood vessel by using electrospinning and 3d printing

Abstract

The small diameter artificial blood vessel is synthesized with a diameter less than or equal to 6 millimetres. This technique has been used in coronary artery bypass grafting to treat coronary artery disease. Currently, the problem of coronary artery disease is still common, in addition to aortic aneurysm caused by the incompatibility of mechanical properties between the artificial blood vessel and the local blood vessel in the patient’s body. This research aims to solve the aforementioned problems using electrospinning and 3D printing technologies, as many types of materials are supported, all parameters are easy to change, and the cost is low. In this report, we describe a design for a small diameter polylactic acid (PLA) vascular graft fabricated by electrospinning with solutions of PLA in AC/DMF (1:1) 10, 12 and 15% w/v at 4 mm. The electrospun PLA nanofibers are tested for their morphology, contact angle, and seam strength. As the results, the fibres are still no same direction alignment due to insufficient rotation speed. The filament holding force is in the range of 1.90-2.71 N and the contact angles are greater than 90° because the samples are not wettable and have hydrophobic property. Further on, we will investigate other required properties, such as cell culture and other mechanical properties. Furthermore, we will compare the results with 3D printed artificial blood vessels with small diameter.