Vascular Grafts Have Several Applications Such As Bypass Grafting For Cardiovascular Diseases And Coronary Artery Diseases
Vascular Grafts |
Vascular
Grafts are
artificial devices used in surgery to restore blood flow in the body. They are
designed to replace damaged or infected blood vessels. These devices can be
taken from the patient or manufactured from natural or synthetic materials. The
grafts should be biocompatible and should allow selective attachment of cells
to them.
Vascular
Grafts should also be endothelialzed and
should inhibit thrombi formation. However, graft surfaces should not be too
porous and should not be susceptible to bridging with contaminants. Some grafts
are doped with polymers or cyanoacrylate resins. This is to enhance the
mechanical performance of the graft. A graft is made up of a matrix, usually
nonbiomimetic, and an endothelialization material that is diffused within it.
Endothelialization of a graft can
take place by coating the matrix surface with an endothelialization material,
or by introducing the endothelialization material into the graft matrix. A
graft can be created through a variety of methods including seeding,
electrospraying, and co-spinning. If the graft is not co-spun, it will result
in a heterogeneous graft that will have poor biological efficiency and will not
have the desired mechanical properties.
Another way to improve the
mechanical properties of a Vascular
Grafts is to add extra coating layers to the graft's surface. Coatings are
commonly prepared by dip-coating technique. Additional UV treatment can improve
the topography of the graft's surface and may also be required if additional
networking is needed.
Along with improving structural
designs, a new manufacturing method is now being investigated. Specifically,
bi-layer grafts have shown promise for their mechanical performance. This
structure is composed of PCL/silica fibres aligned in a geometric pattern to
provide a rigid, angular graft. Bi-layer grafts can vary in material, geometry,
and orientation. Increasing the number of fabric layers is believed to reduce
porosity, as well.
Bi-layer grafts are manufactured
using different techniques to achieve the mechanical properties that suit
specific applications. This type of graft has been shown to be more suitable
for mechanical performance than scaffold-based grafts.
The woven-based grafts are
considered to be less porous than the knitted-based grafts. Textile-based
grafts have been found to provide superior mechanical properties and compliance
when compared to scaffold-based grafts. Scaffold-based grafts are a popular
option for vascular grafts, as they have not been shown to provide the same
level of elasticity and stiffness as textile-based grafts.
US-based medical device company
LeMaitre Vascular acquired Artegraft in June 2020, for $90 million. This
acquisition will expand their product portfolio and the company will be able to
serve customers better with new innovative products.
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