“…PEUU was chosen as material for SPREADS due to its suitable mechanical properties (adequate stiffness, flexibility, structural integrity), processability (to meet the structural design features of SPREADS), expected biocompatibility and biodegradability. Adequate conformity of mechanical support devices with the healthy myocardium in terms of mechanical properties is essential to successfully transfer stress from the infarcted myocardium and border zone while preserving the native cardiac contractility [4,6,22]. However, former whole heart passive restraint devices [4] are characterized by a much higher stiffness than the native myocardium at the end of the systole, such as 500 kPa [22], and as a result impair diastolic function of the right ventricle [65].…”