Multi-step dip-spin coating manufacturing system for silicone cardiovascular membrane fabrication with prescribed compliance

Abstract

A multi-step dip-spin coating procedure by which synthetic vessels of virtually the entire cardiovascular system can be constructed from medical imaging data was developed to consistently and accurately fabricate silicone membranes with prescribed compliance for in vitro hemodynamic experimentation and medical device development. Experimental results showed that the three factors tested (silicone mixture viscosity, mold diameter, and number of dips in solution) each had a statistically significant effect on the resulting wall thickness of the fabricated silicone membranes. A setup was designed and constructed to test the compliance of the silicone membranes, and a prediction model showed that the most important factors for compliance were the mean pressure used to pressurize the membranes, the membrane wall thickness, and the difference in membrane diameter between the two test pressures. The manufacturing process was repeatable with a process standard deviation of 0.002753 cm for an average wall thickness of 0.063576 cm (4.33%).