Optimisation of Photo-Curable 3D-Printed Bionic Double Layer Lower Extremity Vascular Models Based on Biomechanical Performance Evaluation

Abstract

Guidewire interventional radiotherapy is an important means for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, and the risk of intraoperative guidewire puncture jeopardises the life and health of patients. A bionic multilayer vascular model that conforms to the real vascular morphology and mechanical properties of arterial vessels can help surgeons familiarise themselves with the mechanical properties of blood vessels in preoperative simulations and thus avoid the risk of intraoperative vascular puncture. In this paper, porcine abdominal aortic vessels were used as a biological model to evaluate its mechanical properties by T-peel test, uniaxial tensile test and puncture force test. The results showed that the average delamination force between the intima and media of the vessels was 1.11 N. The radial tensile strength of the vessels was greater than the axial tensile strength and the elongation at the break of the media increased after peeling the intima. A multilayer vascular model manufacturing method was developed, and the structural integrity was improved using an intima–media nesting method. This research provides guidance for material selection and preparation processes for 3D printed bionic multilayer lower limb vascular models and contributes to the development of more accurate and functional 3D printed vascular models for biomedical applications.