2016 AIChE Annual Meeting
Optimizing the Quality and Throughput of Electrospun Poly(Glycerol Sebacate) Vascular Grafts
Electrospun poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) is used to fabricate
vascular grafts. We optimized the quality and process of
fabrication of our PGS grafts by decreasing time
electrospinning and residual carrier polymer after curing. We
accomplished our aims by improving the wash methods and
implementing multiple-needle electrospinning. We showed
that a more aggressive wash with a lower mass graft to
solvent volume reduced the amount of PVA in the graft from
the previous methods of washing of 9.7±2.5% to 5.8±0.47% by
weight. Two needles were successfully spun at the same
time, and essentially doubled the rate at which PGS/PVA
solution was electrospun on to a mandrel when paired with a
needle array. Fiber diameter and alignment were monitored
with ImageJ. The graft will be implanted into a sheep model to
test its regenerative potential.
vascular grafts. We optimized the quality and process of
fabrication of our PGS grafts by decreasing time
electrospinning and residual carrier polymer after curing. We
accomplished our aims by improving the wash methods and
implementing multiple-needle electrospinning. We showed
that a more aggressive wash with a lower mass graft to
solvent volume reduced the amount of PVA in the graft from
the previous methods of washing of 9.7±2.5% to 5.8±0.47% by
weight. Two needles were successfully spun at the same
time, and essentially doubled the rate at which PGS/PVA
solution was electrospun on to a mandrel when paired with a
needle array. Fiber diameter and alignment were monitored
with ImageJ. The graft will be implanted into a sheep model to
test its regenerative potential.