Enhancing anti-fouling and anti-clotting properties of UV Curable 3D printed polyurethane derivative resins with heparin for artificial blood vessels

Background

Bottom up stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology employs ultraviolet (UV) curing processes to create objects from polyurethane (PU) derivative resins. The proposed UV curable PU derivative offers an excellent anti-fouling and anti-coagulant capabilities for artificial blood vessels.

Methods

The UV curable PU derivative resins were prepared by the photo-initiator (Doublecure®TPO) and oligomers/monomers, which include aliphatic urethane diacrylate, difunctional acrylate, and trifunctional acrylate. Post-synthesis, the PU was activated through a plasma process, followed by acrylic acid treatment to introduce carboxylic functional groups. These groups facilitated the immobilization of heparin, aided by N-hydroxysuccinimide, onto the resin surface.

Significant Findings

The UV-curable PU derivative resins exhibited impressive physical properties, such as elasticity and flexibility, with a tensile stress of 43.1 MPa and an elongation at break of 29.2 %. When modified with heparin, these resins also demonstrated excellent anti-fouling and anti-coagulant properties, reducing protein and platelet adhesion by 60 % and increasing the activated partial thromboplastin time by approximately 1.5 times. These advancements highlight the significant potential of using SLA 3D printing to develop artificial blood vessels, showcasing the ability to create biocompatible, anti-fouling, and anti-clotting vascular replacements.