Fibrin Based Tissue Engineered Heart Valves Featuring the Sinuses of Valsalva

Abstract The implementation of the sinuses of Valsalva in both the aortic and the pulmonary position is a crucial step towards the development of functional tissue engineered heart valves with optimal hemodynamic performance and reduced risk of thrombi formation. However, the implementation of these features is not standard in tissue engineered heart valves. In our laboratory we aim at the realization of autologous heart valves starting from materials isolated from the patient (fibrinogen and cells) and shaped into 3D geometries by moulding techniques. We present two new fabrication methods that result in the realization of heart valve scaffolds reproducing the complex geometry of semilunar valves. The first concept consists of a mould in two parts: a ventricular part and a vascular part which contains three removable bulbs representing the sinuses of Valsalva; in the second concept the vascular part features three flexible protrusions shaped as the sinuses of Valsalva which can be collapsed when a vacuum...