A Mitral Heart Valve Prototype Using Sustainable Polyurethane Polymer: Fabricated by 3D Bioprinter, Tested by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Multiple diseases can cause deformities in the structure of the heart valve and the heart valve function, which leads to the patient’s physical condition disorders and medical treatments like valve replacement surgery subsequently. In this case, artificial heart valves are used extensively, which generally are made of biocompatible (biologic) or metal (mechanical) materials. Thermoplastic Polyurethane is one of the best choices for the replacement of artificial heart valves due to their high mechanical stability, which makes the heart valve function last for a long-time. Therefore, the artificial heart valves were characterized by a scanning electron microscope analysis, and molecular dynamics simulation was conducted to predict the mechanical performance of the artificial heart valves in this study. Also, the tensile strength, strain at fracture, permeability, and ultimate tensile strength were evaluated to monitor the mechanical property of these novel artificial heart valves. The obtained biological and mechanical properties of the vessel showed a suitable strain percentage at the fracture point and low permeability of the saline into the vessel. Also, about 11% increase in diameter, lead to a nearly 0.09 increase in mechanical performance. Although as surface analysis indicated, the permeability of the inner and outer layer of the artificial heart valves is in the range of 20% and 25%.