Functional Performance of Electrospun Tissue-Engineered Heart Valve Scaffolds Across Geometries Under Aortic Conditions

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Population: Heart valve disease / Aortic valve replacement (in-vitro model) (n=21). Intervention: Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) whole-valve tissue-engineered heart valve (TEHV) scaffolds vs. Different parametrized 3D-printed mandrel geometries (Hamid and Gulbulak analytical models) and aortic pressure conditions. Primary outcome: Mean maximum geometric orifice area (GOA) as a percentage of total closed valve area.

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Electrospun polycaprolactone whole-valve scaffolds maintain physiological opening and closing hemodynamics under aortic pressure conditions, achieving a mean maximum geometric orifice area of 44.51% and a mean transvalvular gradient of 10 mmHg. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.METHODOLOGICAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Hannes Dillinger; Aref Saberi; Mattia Manenti; Iva van der Burgh-Vrees; Carlijn V. C. Bouten

doi:10.64898/2026.10.13.758926

October 14, 2026Open Access

Functional Performance of Electrospun Tissue-Engineered Heart Valve Scaffolds Across Geometries Under Aortic Conditions

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Key result

Electrospun polycaprolactone valve scaffolds achieve ~45% geometric orifice area across aortic pressure conditions.

n=21

Why the study?

The characterization of the functional behavior of electrospun whole-valve tissue-engineered heart valve scaffolds across clinically relevant aortic conditions and distinct leaflet geometries remains limited.

Does direct electrospinning of polycaprolactone onto parametrized 3D-printed mandrels across distinct leaflet geometries produce hemodynamically competent whole-valve scaffolds under hypotensive, normotensive, and hypertensive in-vitro aortic conditions?

Key Points

To evaluate the functional hydrodynamic performance and structural characteristics of seamless, electrospun whole-valve tissue-engineered scaffolds across multiple geometries under clinically relevant aortic pressure conditions.
Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) directly onto 3D-printed mandrels derived from Hamid and Gulbulak analytical models, producing 21 whole-valve scaffolds across five geometries without cutting or suturing.
Characterized fiber diameter, scaffold porosity, and fiber alignment across scaffolds and geometry types using scanning electron microscopy.
Tested a subset of 8 scaffolds in an in vitro pulse duplicator under hypotensive (100/60 mmHg), normotensive (120/80 mmHg), and hypertensive (160/100 mmHg) aortic conditions.
Scaffolds demonstrated a mean maximum geometric orifice area of 44.51% of total valve area, with peak maximum opening reaching 62%, 73%, and 76% under hypotensive, normotensive, and hypertensive conditions before returning to zero in diastole.
Mean maximum transvalvular pressure gradient was 10 mmHg with maximum forward flow between 30 L min−1 and 34 L min−1, showing physiological opening and closing without leaflet prolapse or wear over 15 minutes.
Scaffolds had a mean fiber diameter of 3.3 ± 1.3 µm, mean pore area of 7.3 ± 5.2 µm2, and a mean regurgitation fraction of 73% in aqueous testing attributable to network porosity.

Structured PICO

Does direct electrospinning of polycaprolactone onto parametrized 3D-printed mandrels across distinct leaflet geometries produce hemodynamically competent whole-valve scaffolds under hypotensive, normotensive, and hypertensive in-vitro aortic conditions?

P

Population

21 in-vitro electrospun polycaprolactone whole-valve scaffolds fabricated across five parametrized leaflet geometries, with 8 scaffolds undergoing acute hydrodynamic functionality testing for 15 minutes in a pulse duplicator.

I

Intervention

Direct electrospinning of polycaprolactone (PCL, 17.45% w/w in 9:1 chloroform:methanol) onto parametrized, 3D-printed mandrels derived from two analytical leaflet geometry models (Hamid et al. tilted elliptic half-paraboloid and Utku Gulbulak et al. spline-based models) without cutting or suturing of flat fiber sheets.

C

Comparator

Comparison across distinct 3D-printed mandrel leaflet geometries (including Gulbulak D = 0, Gulbulak D = 0.5, Hamid A = 2.8, B = 1.4, and Hamid A = 4.0, B = 2.4) and across hypotensive, normotensive, and hypertensive aortic pressure conditions.

O

Outcome

In-vitro hemodynamic performance (including geometric orifice area [GOA], flow and pressure waveforms, transvalvular pressure gradient, closing volume, leakage volume, and regurgitation fraction) and scaffold microstructural properties (fiber diameter, orientation, and pore area via scanning electron microscopy).surrogate

This study establishes a reproducible, cutting- and suture-free workflow for fabricating whole-valve electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds directly onto 3D-printed mandrels, demonstrating competent physiological opening and closing across hypotensive, normotensive, and hypertensive aortic conditions in vitro.

Limitations

Evaluation was restricted to five mandrel geometries from two analytical models rather than a comprehensive parametric sweep
Full-field strain data on the fibrous, porous electrospun leaflets was not measured
Testing was limited to acute in-vitro hydrodynamic performance and did not address long-term durability, mechanical fatigue, or in-vivo cell-mediated remodeling
Leaflet coaptation was not quantified in detail
Purified water was used as the test fluid rather than a blood analog, and scaffolds were uncoated, resulting in high regurgitation (mean 73%) through the porous fiber network
Pulse duplicator lacked a physiological aortic root geometry downstream of the scaffold
Pressure/flow sensor data and high-speed optical camera recordings were not hardware-synchronized
In-vitro testing used purified water at 21 °C as the working fluid, contributing to a high mean regurgitation fraction (73%) due to the porous fiber network and low viscosity of water relative to blood
No ventricular compliance was used in the pulse duplicator setup
ISO 5840-defined effective orifice area (EOA) was not evaluated
No synchronization between the high-speed camera and the pulse duplicator
Study addresses only acute in-vitro hemodynamic function and fiber morphology rather than in-vivo degradation, cellular remodeling, or long-term durability

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Implication

Benchtop hemodynamics support scaffold optimization; leaves open in vivo validation before regenerative valve translation.

Abstract

Electrospun, bioresorbable polymer scaffolds represent a compelling platform for tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHVs) owing to their fibrous microstructure, tunable mechanics and inherent capacity to support host-cell infiltration and remodeling. While recent in-vitro parametric studies of bioprosthetic heart valve (BHV) geometry have used silicone cast valves and Doppler echocardiography to link design parameters to hemodynamic performance and leaflet strain, the characterization of the functional behavior of electrospun whole-valve TEHV scaffolds across clinically relevant aortic conditions and across distinct leaflet geometries remains limited. Here, we present an end-to-end workflow in which polycaprolactone (PCL) is electrospun directly onto parametrized, 3D-printed mandrels derived from two established analytical leaflet geometry models, yielding 21 whole-valve scaffolds across five geometries without cutting or suturing of flat fiber sheets. Fiber diameter, orientation and scaffold porosity were assessed by scanning electron microscopy and confirmed to be consistent across scaffolds and geometries. A subset of 8 scaffolds were tested in a pulse duplicator under hypotensive, normotensive and hypertensive aortic conditions, achieving a mean geometric orifice area of 44.51% of the total valve area and demonstrating physiological opening and closing behavior throughout. These results emphasize electrospun whole-valve TEHVs as hemodynamically competent constructs at clinically relevant aortic conditions and provide a reproducible, geometry-driven fabrication and evaluation framework to further support their translation toward regenerative heart valve replacement.

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Cite This Study

Dillinger et al. (2026) studied Heart valve disease / Aortic valve replacement (in-vitro model) (n=21). Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) whole-valve tissue-engineered heart valve (TEHV) scaffolds vs. Different parametrized 3D-printed mandrel geometries (Hamid and Gulbulak analytical models) and aortic pressure conditions was evaluated on Mean maximum geometric orifice area (GOA) as a percentage of total closed valve area. Electrospun polycaprolactone whole-valve scaffolds achieved a mean maximum geometric orifice area of 44.51% and a mean transvalvular gradient of 10 mmHg across aortic pressure conditions.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6ae28e56cbadf70daf6c41b7 https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.13.758926

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Functional Performance of Electrospun Tissue-Engineered Heart Valve Scaffolds Across Geometries Under Aortic Conditions

Key Points

Structured PICO

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Functional Performance of Electrospun Tissue-Engineered Heart Valve Scaffolds Across Geometries Under Aortic Conditions

Key Points

Structured PICO

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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