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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Optimized vascular network by stereolithography for

tissue engineered skin

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Xiaoxiao Han , Julien Courseaus , Jamel Khamassi 2,3,4 , Nadine Nottrodt , Sascha Engelhardt ,
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Frank Jacobsen , Claas Bierwisch , Wolfdietrich Meyer , Torsten Walter , Jürgen Weisser ,
Raimund Jaeger , Richard Bibb , Russell Harris 10
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1 Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, UK
2 Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, Freiburg, Germany
3 University of Freiburg, Institute of Physics, Freiburg, Germany
4 Technische Universität Darmstadt, Chair of Fluid Systems, Darmstadt, Germany
5 Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Aachen, Germany
6 Bergmannsheil University Hospital Ruhr Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
7 Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, Potsdam, Germany
8 INNOVENT e. V., Jena, Germany
9 Design School, Loughborough University, UK
10 Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, UK
Abstract: This paper demonstrates the essential and efficient methods to design, and fabricate optimal vascular network
for tissue engineering structures based on their physiological conditions. Comprehensive physiological requirements in both
micro and macro scales were considered in developing the optimisation design for complex vascular vessels. The optimised
design was then manufactured by stereolithography process using materials that are biocompatible, elastic and surface
bio-coatable. The materials are self-developed photocurable resin consist of BPA-ethoxylated-diacrylate, lauryl acrylate
®
and isobornylacrylate with Irgacure 184, the photoinitiator. The optimised vascular vessel offers many advantages: 1) it
provides the maximum nutrient supply; 2) it minimises the recirculation areas and 3) it allows the wall shear stress on the
vessel in a healthy range. The stereolithography manufactured vascular vessels were then embedded in the hydrogel seeded
with cells. The results of in vitro studies show that the optimised vascular network has the lowest cell death rate compared
with a pure hydrogel scaffold and a hydrogel scaffold embedded within a single tube in day seven. Consequently, these
design and manufacture routes were shown to be viable for exploring and developing a high range complex and specialised
artificial vascular networks.
Keywords: artificial vascular network; skin tissue engineering; additive manufacturing; stereolithography; design
optimisation

*Correspondence to: Xiaoxiao Han, Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University,
LE113TU, UK; x.han2@lboro.ac.uk

Received: February 15, 2018; Accepted: March 26, 2018; Published Online: April 23, 2018
Citation: Han X, Courseaus J, Khamassi J, et al., 2018, Optimized vascular network by stereolithography for tissue
engineered skin. Int J Bioprint, 4(2): 134. http://dx.doi.org/10.18063/IJB.v4i2.134
1. Introduction as implants or grafts to replace damaged skin or used to
reduce and replace animal testing in the pharmaceutical
Successfully producing full skin models with an overall
thickness of several millimetres is a significant goal in industry [1,2] . The most significant challenge in producing
skin tissue engineering. Full skin models can be used full thickness skin models is that the artificial skin

Optimized vascular network by stereolithography for tissue engineered skin. © 2018 Han X, et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), permitting all non-
commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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