title: Microstructured Nickel-Titanium Thin Film Leaflets for Hybrid Tissue Engineered Heart Valves Fabricated by Magnetron Sputter Deposition.
abstract: Heart valves are constantly exposed to high dynamic loading and are prone to degeneration. Therefore, it is a challenge to develop a durable heart valve substitute. A promising approach in heart valve engineering is the development of hybrid scaffolds which are composed of a mechanically strong inorganic mesh enclosed by valvular tissue. In order to engineer an efficient, durable and very thin heart valve for transcatheter implantations, we developed a fabrication process for microstructured heart valve leaflets made from a nickel-titanium (NiTi) thin film shape memory alloy. To examine the capability of microstructured NiTi thin film as a matrix scaffold for tissue engineered hybrid heart valves, leaflets were successfully seeded with smooth muscle cells (SMCs). In vitro pulsatile hydrodynamic testing of the NiTi thin film valve leaflets demonstrated that the SMC layer significantly improved the diastolic sufficiency of the microstructured leaflets, without affecting the systolic efficiency. Compared to an established porcine reference valve model, magnetron sputtered NiTi thin film material demonstrated its suitability for hybrid tissue engineered heart valves.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Chair for Inorganic Functional Materials, Institute for Materials Science, University of Kiel, Kaiserstrasse 2, 24143, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Loger
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haupt
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Chair for Inorganic Functional Materials, Institute for Materials Science, University of Kiel, Kaiserstrasse 2, 24143, Kiel, Germany.|ACQUANDAS GmbH, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lima de Miranda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lutter
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Chair for Inorganic Functional Materials, Institute for Materials Science, University of Kiel, Kaiserstrasse 2, 24143, Kiel, Germany. eq@tf.uni-kiel.de.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quandt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000166:cytology; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D011474:Prosthesis Design / Q000379:methods*; D012756:Sheep; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C040654:titanium nickelide; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Hybrid heart valve leaflets; Magnetron sputter deposition; NiTi thin film scaffold; Shape memory alloy