Speaker
Description
Introduction: The development of biofabrication requires reliable and standardized methods for quantifying a wide range of printing techniques and tissue models to ensure a successful translation into medical applications. With the rise of convergence and the integration of multiple materials, printing processes are becoming increasingly complex, posing challenges for structural analysis. Especially the advancement of volumetric printing (VP) enables the fabrication of complex, three-dimensional vascular models composed of multiple biomaterials.[1] Internal geometries and material transitions are difficult to assess using conventional imaging techniques without destructive sectioning. Reliable and non-invasive quality control methods are essential for the validation of such models, especially given the critical influence of geometry on flow dynamics in vascular applications.[2] Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can offer a non-destructive alternative, combining high-resolution 3D imaging with the ability to differentiate materials based on refractive index differences.[3] This study investigates the applicability of OCT for the quality control of fabricated multi-material VBP vascular models.
Methods: Hybrid vascular constructs are fabricated using advanced multi-material VP strategies that build upon recent developments in the field. The approaches are applied to generate anatomically inspired vascular models with pathological features. Constructs are produced from different hydrogel-based biomaterial resins composed of gelatin methacryloyl, polyethylene glycol diacrylate with distinct refractive properties to enable internal contrast. A commercially available swept source OCT was employed to evaluate structural fidelity and material integration.
Results: The adapted multi-material VP approaches enabled the fabrication of vascular constructs with increased structural complexity and pathological relevance. Internal features, as well as the integration of multiple materials, were reliably visualized and assessed using OCT, where non-destructive standard optical imaging. OCT data revealed high agreement with target geometries and provided volumetric reconstructions of internal architecture. This allowed for qualitative assessment of material distribution, detection of defects such as voids or delamination and for readjusting process parameters to improve printing. The approach was evaluated across different levels of model complexity to assess the detectability of structural features and the potential for quantitative analysis.
Discussion: By combining recent advances in multi-material VP with OCT imaging, a robust platform for the fabrication and non-destructive characterization of vascular disease models was established. OCT proved particularly useful for visualizing complex internal features and heterogeneous material distributions in ways conventional methods could not achieve. The results highlight the potential of this workflow for quality control in advanced tissue model fabrication, especially where functional geometry is essential.
References:
[1] D. Ribezzi, J. P. Zegwaart, T. Van Gansbeke, A. Tejo-Otero, S. Florczak, J. Aerts, P. Delrot, A. Hierholzer, M. Fussenegger, J. Malda, J. Olijve, R. Levato, Adv Mater 2025, 37, e2409355.
[2] W. Park, J. S. Lee, M. J. Choi, W. W. Cho, S. H. Lee, D. Lee, J. H. Kim, S. Yoon, S. O. Oh, M. Ahn, D. W. Cho, B. S. Kim, Biofabrication 2024, 17.
[3] J. W. Tashman, D. J. Shiwarski, B. Coffin, A. Ruesch, F. Lanni, J. M. Kainerstorfer, A. W. Feinberg, Biofabrication 2022, 15.
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