Application of fused deposition modelling in tissue engineering of tri-leaflet heart valves

This paper presents a novel methodology for application of Fused Deposition Modelling rapid prototyping technology in the fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering of tri-leaflet heart valves. Traditional techniques for scaffolds fabrication have several drawbacks such as long fabrication time, labour intensive process, poor repeatability and insufficient interconnectivity of pores. The paper examines the high potential of FDM technology in biomedical engineering application, and presents the preliminary results of scaffolds fabrication and numerical simulation in the development of a fully functional heart valve for treatment of cardiovascular problems.