Effects of process parameters on the production dynamics and final quality of vascular grafts made of bacterial cellulose

Abstract

Peripheral vascular diseases represent the number one cause of death in the Western world today, and there are growing health and socioeconomic burden. The main treatment today is bypass surgery, sometimes using synthetic polymers as substitute for the damaged vessels or autologous veins. Since the synthetic polymers cannot provide small-diameter vessels, the autologous saphenous vein is often used. Tissue engineered blood vessels are under development but still has production time and cost as limiting steps, and cannot be used off-the-shelf for acute surgery. Blood vessels created from Bacterial Cellulose (BC) have great potential for solving these issues. This project aims to study and improve the production process for production of BC tubes used as vascular grafts. Limitations of the production process are identified and located, with focus on the macrolayer formation; an investigation of how the build-up process occurs and how it is controlled. The proprietary technology of Arterion AB is used, where the dependence of the oxygen supply, fructose concentration, temperature and ethanol concentration are evaluated. Changes in the oxygen flow exhibit potential to lower the macrolayer formation, as well as improve the mechanical properties of the BC graft. Alterations of the temperature, fructose and ethanol concentrations exhibit potential to increase the wall thickness of the inner macrolayer, in order to allow a single layer to be used as a BC graft. Evaluation of how different parameters affect the production process is a crucial step towards control of the production, and thus the tailor-making of the properties of the graft.