弗劳恩霍夫IAP与NMI实现仿生组织力学

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) and the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute have jointly developed a patent-pending biomimetic tissue substitute that uses 3D printing as its structural backbone. The material, created under the PolyKARD project, is now ready for industrial translation and addresses one of biomedical engineering’s most persistent challenges: replicating the nonlinear mechanical behavior of natural tissue.

弗劳恩霍夫应用聚合物研究所（IAP）与NMI自然科学与医学研究所的研究人员共同开发了一种已申请专利的仿生组织替代物，该材料以3D打印作为其结构骨架。这项在PolyKARD项目下研发的材料现已具备产业化转化条件，并解决了生物医学工程领域最棘手的挑战之一：复制天然组织的非线性力学行为。

Structures like the pericardium flex under light load and stiffen sharply under pressure. Conventional polymers can approximate this response at one end of the strain range, but not both. This new multilayer design, however, achieves both behaviors in a single material.

心包等结构在轻载下可弯曲，在压力下则会急剧硬化。传统聚合物能在应变范围的一端近似模拟这种响应，却无法兼顾两端。而这款新型多层设计，能在单一材料中同时实现这两种力学行为。

The tissue substitute is built from three distinct layers at Fraunhofer IAP’s Potsdam Science Park, each contributing a specific function. A dense polyurethane acrylate polymer film forms the base. On top of it, a wavy metastructure is deposited via 3D printing. This is the layer that governs mechanical behavior.

该组织替代物由三个不同层构成，均在弗劳恩霍夫IAP的波茨坦科学园内制造，每层各具特定功能。致密的聚氨酯丙烯酸酯聚合物薄膜构成基底。在其上方，通过3D打印沉积一层波浪状亚稳态结构——这正是主导力学性能的关键层。

As the material is stretched, the waves elongate, keeping the structure pliable. Beyond a defined strain threshold, stiffness increases sharply, closely mirroring the nonlinear stress-strain response of natural pericardial tissue. The third layer is electrospun collagen, produced through a proprietary process developed at the NMI. Its quality is continuously monitored using specialized enzymatic and non-invasive spectroscopic analyses, ensuring the biological interface meets the standard required for cell interaction.

当材料被拉伸时，波浪结构随之伸长，保持材料柔韧性。超过特定应变阈值后，刚度急剧增加，与天然心包组织的非线性应力-应变响应高度吻合。第三层是电纺胶原蛋白，采用NMI开发的专有工艺制造。其质量通过专用的酶学分析和非侵入性光谱分析进行持续监控，确保生物界面达到细胞相互作用所需的标准。

Studies with human skin fibroblasts and epithelial cells confirmed that the fiber network’s three-dimensional morphology actively supports cell adhesion and growth, while cytotoxicity testing revealed no adverse cellular effects.

使用人皮肤成纤维细胞和上皮细胞进行的研究证实，纤维网络的三维形态能积极支持细胞粘附和生长，而细胞毒性测试未发现任何不良细胞效应。

“The results show that technical materials and biological functionality can be specifically engineered and combined into biomimetic materials,” says Dr. Hanna Hartmann from the NMI. “This opens up new possibilities for the development of biohybrid implants. That is why we have now jointly filed a patent for this tissue substitute.”

NMI的汉娜·哈特曼博士表示：”研究结果表明，技术材料与生物功能可以被专门设计并组合成仿生材料。这为生物混合植入物的开发开辟了新可能。因此，我们已就该组织替代物共同提交了专利申请。”

While the pericardium served as the primary reference tissue for this development, the material concept is not application-specific. The same multilayer architecture — tunable metastructure, polymer base, and bioactive surface — can be adapted for:

虽然心包是本次开发的主要参考组织，但该材料概念并非针对特定应用。相同的多层架构——可调亚稳态结构、聚合物基底和生物活性表面——可适用于：

For medical device companies, this represents a configurable platform rather than a single implant solution. “Our development has reached a stage where it can be translated into concrete applications,” explains Dr. Wolfdietrich Meyer. “The next step is to collaborate with industrial partners to realize specific products and bring them to market-ready applications.”

对于医疗器械公司而言，这代表一个可配置的平台，而非单一的植入物解决方案。沃尔夫迪特里希·迈耶博士解释说：”我们的开发已进入可转化为具体应用的阶段。下一步是与产业合作伙伴协作，实现特定产品并将其推向市场就绪的应用。”

For those interested in the 3D printing side of this innovation, the project demonstrates how precise 3D printing models can be used to create functional metastructures with tailored mechanical properties. The ability to design and print custom geometries opens new doors for medical applications.

对于关注这项创新中3D打印技术的人士，该项目展示了如何利用精确的3D打印模型创建具有定制力学性能的功能性亚稳态结构。设计和打印定制几何结构的能力，为医疗应用打开了新的大门。

Replicating soft tissue mechanics in 3D printed materials has been an active research front for years. Most approaches address biological compatibility or geometric customization in isolation, but matching the nonlinear mechanical signature of natural tissue — where flexibility and stiffness coexist across different strain ranges — has proven far more elusive.

用3D打印材料复制软组织力学特性多年来一直是活跃的研究前沿。大多数方法要么单独解决生物相容性，要么单独解决几何定制问题，但匹配天然组织的非线性力学特征——其中柔韧性和刚度在不同应变范围内共存——已被证明要难以捉摸得多。

For instance, research from Texas A&M University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering identified that conventional hydrogels used in bioprinting lack sufficient structural stability and tissue-specific functions. The ideal bioinks must simultaneously support cell viability and mechanical integrity. The Fraunhofer IAP and NMI approach bypasses this tradeoff by separating mechanical function from biological function across distinct layers.

例如，德克萨斯农工大学系的研究

This breakthrough highlights how premium STL files and advanced printing techniques can enable entirely new classes of biomimetic materials. As 3D printing continues to evolve, the line between synthetic and natural tissue mechanics grows thinner.

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