Three dimensional construct for the design and fabrication of physiological fluidic networks
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsJoseph P. Vacanti, Jeffrey Borenstein, Mohammad R. Kaazempur-Mofrad, Eli Weinberg
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods for the design and fabrication of biological constructs, such as organ simulants or organ replacements, which contain complex microfluidic architecture. Designs of the present invention provide increased space in the lateral dimension, enabling a large number of small channels for small vessels.
Claims19
A method of modeling and designing a physiologically based fluidic network in a three-dimensional construct for use as an organ simulant for a specific organ, comprising the steps of:
- generating an initial design of an initial network in node-vessel format by stacking two-dimensional layers comprised of vessels connected by nodes and interconnecting the layers with vertical vessels such that the initial design is a three-dimensional design of a biological construct;
- translating the initial design from node-vessel format into a set of matrix equations relating a pressure and a resistance for each vessel, thereby defining flow behavior in the network;
- setting constraints on the set of matrix equations and determining a flow rate in each vessel, wherein the constraints include at least one physiological parameter associated with the specific organ;
- solving the set of matrix equations for the pressure and resistance of each vessel based on the flow rate in each vessel and the constraints;
- determining a geometry of each vessel on the basis of the corresponding resistance, thereby defining a final design of a final biological construct;
- and
- producing the final biological construct for use as an organ simulant.
A method of designing and producing an organ simulant to replace or augment a target organ, comprising the steps of:
- generating a three-dimensional design of the organ simulant having a construct that defines a physiologically based fluidic network, wherein the design is in node-vessel format by stacking a plurality of two-dimensional layers comprised of vessels connected by nodes and interconnecting the layers with vertical vessels;
- translating the three-dimensional design from node-vessel format into a set of matrix equations relating performance parameters for each vessel;
- setting constraints on the set of matrix equations to solve
- the set of matrix equations to approximately match the performance parameters to physiological parameters of the target organ;
- determining a geometry of each vessel on the basis of the solution of the set of matrix equations, thereby defining a physiologically based fluidic network of a revised three-dimensional design of the organ simulant;
- and
- producing the revised three-dimensional design of the organ simulant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.