Surgical training aids and methods of fabrication thereof

摘要

The present invention provides surgical training aids formed from hydrogels and adapted to exhibit realistic mechanical properties mimicking those of real organs. Surgical training aids are preferably fabricated by subjecting a concentration of polyvinyl alcohol to freeze-thaw cycles in a mold designed to approximate the shape of an organ, and process parameters are selected to tailor the mechanical properties of the formed hydrogel to those of the organ simulated by the surgical aid. The mechanical properties of the hydrogel forming the surgical training aid may be tailored by incorporating bacterial cellulose and by applying strain during hydrogel formation, thereby producing controlled anisotropy.

主权项

1. A method of producing a multilayer hydrogel, said method comprising the steps of:
a) flowing a first volume of a first aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol into a mold; b) thermally cycling said solution through at least one freeze-thaw cycle to form a polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel layer within said mold; c) flowing an additional volume of an additional aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol directly on top of the previously formed polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel layer; and e) thermally cycling said additional aqueous solution through at least one freeze-thaw cycle to form a multilayer polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel layer within said mold.