Tailoring Electrospinning Fabrication for Scaffolds for Heart Valve Tissue Engineering

Previous work in controlling mechanical properties of electrospun scaffolds has largely been limited to altering the orientation of the fibrous network by either large rotational velocity or by altering the electric field during fabrication. Our lab has previously developed a technique to analyze the complete microstructural topology of electrospun scaffolds and extract key descriptors. In this project, we translated the target mandrel at varying speeds along its rotational axis in order to modify the microarchitecture without altering the fiber orientation angle. Using the algorithm mentioned above, we determined that increasing the translation speed resulted in a decrease in fiber interse…

Fabrication Techniques for Electrospun Polyurethane Scaffolds that Generate Valve Leaflet Mechanical Properties.

Abdominal wall reconstruction by a regionally distinct biocomposite of extracellular matrix digest and a biodegradable elastomer.

Current extracellular matrix (ECM) derived scaffolds offer promising regenerative responses in many settings, however in some applications there may be a desire for more robust and long lasting mechanical properties. A biohybrid composite material that offers both strength and bioactivity for optimal healing towards native tissue behavior may offer a solution to this problem. A regionally distinct biocomposite scaffold composed of a biodegradable elastomer (poly(ester urethane)urea) and porcine dermal ECM gel was generated to meet this need by a concurrent polymer electrospinning/ECM gel electrospraying technique where the electrosprayed component was varied temporally during the processing…

Effects of Rastering Velocity on Electrospun Polyeurthane Structure and Mechanical Properties

Unseeded Elastomeric Single Leaflets Retain Function and Remodel After Implant In Ovine Pulmonary Outflow Tract

Current materials for heart valve replacement and repair are limited by the inability to grow or remodel. Tissue engineered valves offer the potential to overcome these disadvantages by creating living structures, but is limited by the availability of biocompatible scaffold materials with desirable biomechanical properties. We assessed the in vivo performance of a novel scaffold poly(carbonate urethane) urea (PCUU), fabricated by electrospinning and implanted in the pulmonary outflow tract of sheep. PCUU was electrospun into elastomeric sheets of thickness ranging from 120-180 μm. Using cardiopulmonary bypass we replaced the native anterior pulmonary leaflet with an acellular PCUU leaflet. …