Bio-ink Hydrogel Penile Prosthesis 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current penile prostheses face issues with discomfort, damage to surrounding tissues, poor customization, and high costs due to material stiffness and heterogeneity, as well as limitations in simulating natural erection and flaccid states effectively.
Innovation Solution
A bio-ink composed of polymer-based materials, initiators, crosslinking agents, and light absorbers is used for 3D printing to create a penile corpus cavernosum prosthesis with a hydrogel structure, bionic vascular sinus cavity, and external bionic white membrane, allowing for customizable, biocompatible, and stable expansion and contraction mimicking natural erection and flaccid states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional silicone rubber materials are used for penile prosthesis, then good biocompatibility is achieved, but material stiffness and heterogeneity cause discomfort and damage to surrounding tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from traditional silicone rubber to hydrogel-based materials with adjustable stiffness and composition. The hydrogel prosthesis uses polymer chains with controlled cross-linking density to achieve mechanical properties matching natural corpus cavernosum tissue, reducing stiffness mismatch and associated discomfort while maintaining biocompatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite hydrogel materials combining multiple polymer components (e.g., gelatin, chitosan, sodium alginate, agarose, hyaluronic acid, silk fibroin, dextran, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, acrylamide, acrylic acid, N-isopropylacrylamide, methacrylic acid, benzyl methacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol methacryloyl, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and N-vinylpyrrolidone) to create a material that simultaneously provides biocompatibility, appropriate mechanical stiffness, and heterogeneity matching natural tissue architecture.
2Ease of operation
If traditional three-piece penile prosthesis is used, then expansion function is achieved, but poor customization and high price are problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating patient-specific prosthesis designs through 3D printing technology, where the hydrogel material can be customized in terms of size, shape, and mechanical properties to match individual patient anatomy and requirements. This allows for personalized stiffness distribution, cavity geometry, and surface characteristics tailored to each patient's corpus cavernosum dimensions and functional needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses 3D printing technology to create precise digital copies and physical replicas of the corpus cavernosum structure before implantation. The prosthesis is manufactured by depositing hydrogel material layer by layer according to a digital model, enabling exact replication of patient-specific anatomical features and customization of mechanical properties without requiring traditional mold-making or assembly processes.
3Ease of operation
If traditional penile prosthesis is used, then erection simulation is achieved, but failure to effectively simulate natural flaccid and erection states occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters to hydrogel with specific rheological properties that enable natural expansion and contraction cycles. The hydrogel's viscoelastic characteristics allow the prosthesis to transition smoothly between flaccid and erect states, mimicking the physiological behavior of natural corpus cavernosum tissue through controlled volume changes and stress-strain response.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite hydrogel materials that replicate the heterogeneous structure of natural corpus cavernosum tissue, including simulated trabecular architecture and varying stiffness zones. This composite structure enables more accurate simulation of both flaccid and erect states, capturing the natural mechanical behavior and tactile sensations associated with physiological erection and flaccidity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The bio-ink-based prosthesis provides enhanced biocompatibility, mechanical properties compatible with tissues, reduces thrombosis risk, and allows for personalized customization with precise 3D printing, achieving natural-like expansion and contraction while maintaining stability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the bio-ink provided by the disclosure can undergo a gelation reaction under ultraviolet light irradiation
Implementation Method 2
0.05-10% of a crosslinking agent
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure belongs to the technical field of biomedical materials, and provides a bio-ink, application thereof, a penile corpus cavernosum prosthesis and a preparation method thereof. The bio-ink provided by the disclosure includes a polymer-based material, an initiator, a crosslinking agent, a light absorber, and water. The bio-ink provided by the disclosure can undergo a gelation reaction under ultraviolet light irradiation, and an obtained hydrogel matrix material can have an elongation at break reaching 200-600%, so as to be applied to 3D printing. The disclosure further provides a penile corpus cavernosum prosthesis. For the penile corpus cavernosum prosthesis provided by the disclosure, with biocompatible hydrogel as a matrix material, an anticoagulant layer obtained by coating can effectively reduce the risk of thrombosis and has good safety and stability. The penile corpus cavernosum prosthesis of the disclosure has bionic vascular sinus cavity and bionic white membrane structures.