1. Additive Manufacturing of Multi-Scale Porous Soft Tissue Implants That Encourage Vascularization and Tissue Ingrowth.
- Author
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Coulter FB, Levey RE, Robinson ST, Dolan EB, Deotti S, Monaghan M, Dockery P, Coulter BS, Burke LP, Lowery AJ, Beatty R, Paetzold R, Prendergast JJ, Bellavia G, Straino S, Cianfarani F, Salamone M, Bruno CM, Moerman KM, Ghersi G, Duffy GP, and O'Cearbhaill ED
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, Materials Testing, Porosity, Swine, Prostheses and Implants, Silicones
- Abstract
Medical devices, such as silicone-based prostheses designed for soft tissue implantation, often induce a suboptimal foreign-body response which results in a hardened avascular fibrotic capsule around the device, often leading to patient discomfort or implant failure. Here, it is proposed that additive manufacturing techniques can be used to deposit durable coatings with multiscale porosity on soft tissue implant surfaces to promote optimal tissue integration. Specifically, the "liquid rope coil effect", is exploited via direct ink writing, to create a controlled macro open-pore architecture, including over highly curved surfaces, while adapting atomizing spray deposition of a silicone ink to create a microporous texture. The potential to tailor the degree of tissue integration and vascularization using these fabrication techniques is demonstrated through subdermal and submuscular implantation studies in rodent and porcine models respectively, illustrating the implant coating's potential applications in both traditional soft tissue prosthetics and active drug-eluting devices., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)
- Published
- 2021
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