Automation of Solution Blow Spinning System for Heart Valve Scaffold Fabrication
摘要
Cardiac valves play a crucial role in the human body, ensuring the one-way flow of blood through the heart. However, when affected by diseases, they can lose their functionality, requiring replacement. Although current prostheses have evolved and provide some quality of life to patients, they have limitations, such as the inability to grow and the constant need for anticoagulants, as well as limited durability. Tissue engineering emerges as a promising alternative, allowing the production of living structures to replace damaged tissues. In this context, this study aimed to develop a scaffold for tissue engineering of the aortic valve, using bioresorbable polymers through a fully automated solution blow spinning (SBS) system, a process used to fabricate polymer fibers. Subsequently, adaptations were made to the existing system to better meet the objectives, including the development of parts such as a rotating collector to attach the stent and a support base for the implementation of a third motor to promote collector rotation. Tests and parameter modifications were then conducted to identify the optimal combination for fiber formation along the stent. The results indicated that flow parameters of 50 ml/h, a distance of 15 cm, and a pressure of 20 psi provided the obtaintion of a higher-quality scaffold. However, to confirm the viability of using this automated system in tissue engineering of cardiac valves, further tests are still needed, including functionality tests.