Revolutionizing micro-surgical training by reducing and replacing animal dependency through synthetic biomimetic 3D printed blood vessels

Deepak will use a 3D printed synthetic blood vessel to replace the use of animal-derived materials and live animals, typically rats, for microsurgical training purposes. He will work with clinicians to incorporate the approach into surgical training and engage with academic and industry partners to use the synthetic vessel to train researchers in microvascular surgery.

This award was made as part of the 2024 non-animal derived product validation grants supported with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

This interdisciplinary project focuses on developing alternative animal models for advanced microsurgical training in collaboration with The Griffin Institute (TGI), which boasts a 45-year history of leading microsurgical training in the UK and beyond. This training is compulsory for surgical trainees in plastic, maxillofacial and vascular surgery, equipping them with the skills to repair small blood vessels, 2-3 mm in diameter, using microscopes.

Currently, the training model relies on live animals, specifically rats, to provide a realistic training experience. The typical course lasts five days, with live animal training commencing on the second day. Traditionally, over 60 live animals are used per course, amounting to around 400 animals annually. The absence of viable alternative training models has hindered the transition to animal reduction or animal-free alternatives.

Our project aims to develop biomimetic, animal-free microsurgery models for anastomosis to reduce and eventually replace the use of live animals in surgical training.

Our approach builds on our previous and ongoing research with VascuBiomatrix™, a novel animal-free biomaterial used to fabricate biomimetic blood vessels for training and potential clinical applications. Our goal is to leverage VascuBiomatrix™'s exceptional biomechanical, elastic, and self-healing properties to create a microsurgical model that reduces and eventually replaces the use of animal-derived materials and live animals in microsurgery training.

The project's goals include developing a bespoke blood vesselmodel for microsurgical training. Objectives encompass a)optimizing material properties and fabrication process to match the biomechanical characteristics of real blood vessel walls, and b)quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate suturability, tactile feedback by trainee surgeons to confirm its effectiveness compared to animal blood vessel models.

Our vision is to reduce and replace the number of 'live animal days' in the five-day microsurgery course at TGI by integrating more alternative models. For example, replacing one day of live rat microsurgery with animal-free models could reduce the number of live rats required by 20%. This shift represents a viable, ethical, and effective alternative for microsurgical training.