Design, simulation, and fabrication of a three-dimensional printed pump mimicking the left ventricle motion

Abstract

The development of accurate replicas of the circulatory and cardiac system is fundamental for a deeper understanding of cardiovascular diseases and the testing of new devices. Although numerous works concerning mock circulatory loops are present in the current state of the art, still some limitations are present. In particular, a pumping system able to reproduce the left ventricle motion and completely compatible with the magnetic resonance environment to permit the four-dimensional flow monitoring is still missing. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of an actuator suitable for cardiovascular mock circuits. Particular attention was given to the ability to mimic the left ventricle dynamics including both compression and twisting with the magnetic resonance compatibility. In our study, a left ventricle model to be actuated through vacuum was designed. The realization of the system was evaluated with finite element analysis of different design solutions. After the in silico evaluation phase, the most suitable design in terms of physiological values reproduction was fabricated through three-dimensional printing for in vitro validation. A pneumatic experimental setup was developed to evaluate the pump performances in terms of actuation, in particular ventricle radial and longitudinal displacement, twist rotation, and ejection fraction. The study demonstrated the feasibility of a custom pneumatic pump for mock circulatory loops able to reproduce the physiological ventricle movement and completely suitable for the magnetic resonance environment.

Modeling biomechanical interaction between soft tissue and soft robotic instruments: importance of constitutive anisotropic hyperelastic formulations

“…The channel radius ( r c ) and the distance between the channel and the module wall ( d c ) were imposed equal to 2.5 and 1.0 mm, respectively. In the FE simulation, the soft robotic module material was assumed to be a commercial thermoplastic polyurethane (TangoBlackPlus FLX980, Stratasys Ltd. © ), already characterized in a previous study (Vignali et al, 2019). The material was modeled with a hyperelastic neo-Hookean material with a stiffness of 0.5 MPa, which is within the range of characteristic soft robotics applications (Majidi, 2019).…”

Microelectromechanical Systems Based on Magnetic Polymer Films

“…During the last two decades, a wide range of MEMS were produced, most of them based on quite the same polymers and magnetic components, the major challenge being represented by their design [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. Many approaches have been used in designing such devices, the biomimetic approach being also used in this field.…”

“…Many approaches have been used in designing such devices, the biomimetic approach being also used in this field. For instance, Vignali et al [ 50 ], designed and fabricated a 3D-printed pump mimicking the motion of the left ventricle using polyurethane (tensile strength: 0.8–1.5 MPa and elongation to break: 170–220%).…”

Three-dimensional printing for biomedical applications

“…Such an approach is suitable for the design of low-weight patient-specific implants for orthopedic prosthesis manufactured by Electron Beam Melting. Finally, Vignali et al 15 designed a mock ventricle optimized by in silico analysis and successively fabricated through 3D printing for in vitro validation, with the aim of composing a pumping system mimicking the left ventricle motion and fully compatible with the MRI.…”