Columbia Technology Ventures

Tubular scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering

This technology is a simple method for fabricating tubular devices with well-aligned fiber organization for vascular tissue engineering.

Unmet Need: Control of fiber alignment in tubular grafts and devices

Tubular vessels formed from biocompatible materials are widely used in vascular tissue engineering applications, and can also serve as vascular grafts and nerve guides. The microstructure of these devices is particularly important for guiding tissue growth and function. However, conventional fabrication methods such as molding and dipping do not provide adequate control over the microstructure, while the more precise methods such as electrospinning involve lengthy, multi-step optimization procedures.

The Technology: Method for rapid fabrication of biopolymer microtubes with controlled fiber organization

This system allows for the precise fabrication of tubular structures by applying small amounts of a polymer coating to a rotating support structure. A central mandrel rapidly spins while adjacent applicators inject a biopolymer of choice. The rotation of the mandrel causes the biopolymer threads to be wound around the support, steadily building up the microtube. Wall thickness, diameter, and shape of the microtube can be readily modified by adjusting winding speed, amount of polymer injection, and pattern of application, while other properties may be modified in pre- or post-processing of the biopolymer. This process is compatible with a wide range of commonly used biomaterials, including silk, collagen, fibrin, polylactic acid, and polyglycolic acid, among others.

Applications:

  • Fabrication of tissue scaffolds for vascular engineering
  • Fabrication of microvascular grafts
  • Fabrication of nerve guides for nerve regeneration
  • Construction of lifelike model vessels for surgical training

Advantages:

  • High precision fiber alignment
  • Flexible physical parameters
  • Compatible with pre- and post-processing of biopolymer
  • Compatible with a variety of commonly used biomaterials
  • Rapid fabrication method

Lead Inventor:

Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Issued

Related Publications:

Tech Ventures Reference: