Mechanical Characterization of 3D-Printed Patterned Membranes for Cardiac Tissue Engineering: An Experimental and Numerical Study

A myocardial infarction can cause irreversible damage to the heart muscle. A promising approach for the treatment of myocardial infarction and prevention of severe complications is the application of cardiac patches or epicardial restraint devices. The challenge for the fabrication of cardiac patches is the replication of the fibrillar structure of the myocardium, in particular its anisotropy and local elasticity. In this study, we developed a chitosan-gelatin-guar gum-based biomaterial ink that was fabricated using 3D printing to create patterned anisotropic membranes. The experimental results were then used to develop a numerical model able to predict the elastic properties of additional geometries with tunable elasticity that could easily match the mechanical properties of the heart tissue (particularly the myocardium).

Automated summary

Myocardial infarction can cause irreversible damage to the heart muscle. Using 3D printing and a biomaterial ink, a study developed patterned anisotropic membranes that mimic the fibrillar structure of the myocardium, which could be used as cardiac patches for treatment and prevention of complications. A numerical model was also developed to predict the elastic properties of different geometries with tunable elasticity that can match the mechanical properties of the heart tissue.