Unique heart patch will turn cardiology upside down

Holy Trinity College in Dublin has figured out how to “repair” a heart after a heart attack. After a heart attack, scar tissue forms in the heart, which prevents the organ from functioning normally. A recent trend is the use of adhesives, which should introduce new, healthy cells.

But these adhesives have a problem. As a rule, they are made of thermoplastic polymers based on polyester coated with heart cells. The patches are attached to the heart surgically. But, since the heart is constantly beating, and its tissues are either contracting or stretching, it is difficult for the cells to stay in the zone. Irish specialists rely on material that imitates heart tissue in terms of physical properties.

There are no cells in their patch, but it is made of an electrically conductive material. To obtain this material, scientists turned to technology that uses an electric field to control the deposition of a jet of molten polymer, which turns into fiber. It is possible to control in detail the geometry of the structure at the fiber level. This allows you to most accurately simulate heart tissue.

According to meddaily.ru, the researchers showed that the patch can withstand repeated stretching and has the desired conductive properties that mimic the properties of human heart tissue. This means that new material can contribute to the electrical transmission of signals. It is also able to synchronize with the contractions of the heart, minimizing mechanical stress.

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