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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2005; 53(3): 144-149
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-837536
Original Cardiovascular

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Tissue Engineering of Vascular Conduits: Fabrication of Custom-Made Scaffolds Using Rapid Prototyping Techniques

R. Sodian1 , P. Fu1 , C. Lueders1 , D. Szymanski2 , C. Fritsche1 , M. Gutberlet4 , S. P. Hoerstrup3 , H. Hausmann1 , T. Lueth2 , R. Hetzer1
  • 1Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Laboratory for Tissue Engineering, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • 2Surgical Robotics Lab, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Charité, Humboldt University Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany
  • 3Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Cell Transplantation, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
  • 4Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received August 1, 2004

Publication Date:
30 May 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Background: The technique of stereolithography, which automatically fabricates models from X-ray computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data linked to computer-aided design programs, has been applied to the fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering. We previously reported on the application of stereolithography in scaffold fabrication of a trileaflet heart valve. In our current experiment we demonstrate a new technique for the fabrication of custom-made conduits for the potential replacement of a coarcted aortic segment. Methods and Results: In this experiment the image data derived from a 12-year-old male patient with aortic coarctation scanned by MRI were processed by a computer-aided design program to reconstruct the aortic arch with isthmus stenosis three dimensionally. By defining the stenotic section and the adjacent normal vessel a custom-made nonstenotic descending aorta was reconstructed to replace the stenosed part. The rapid prototyping technique was used to establish stereolithographic models for fabricating biocompatible and biodegradable vascular scaffolds with the anatomic structure of the recalculated human descending aorta through a thermal processing technique. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the re-creation and reproduction of complex vascular structures by computer-aided design techniques may be useful to fabricate custom-made polymeric scaffolds for the tissue engineering of living vascular prostheses.

Key words

Tissue engineering - stereolithography - aortic coarctation

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Dr. Ralf Sodian

Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
Laboratory for Tissue Engineering
Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin

Augustenburger Platz 1

13353 Berlin

Germany

Phone: + 493045932164

Fax: + 49 30 45 93 21 65

Email: sodian@dhzb.de