Home-Fraunhofer IAP and NMI Achieve Biomimetic Tissue Mechanics
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research(IAP) andNMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institutehave jointly developed a patent-pending biomimetic tissue substitute that uses 3D printing as its structural backbone, and is now ready for industrial translation.
The material, developed under the PolyKARD project, addresses one of biomedical engineering’s most persistent challenges: replicating the nonlinear mechanical behavior of natural tissue. Structures like the pericardium flex under light load and stiffen sharply under pressure, a response conventional polymers can approximate at one end, but not both. This new multilayer design does both.
Structure as the Solution: How the Material Works
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. and this is the layer that governs mechanical behavior. 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.
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.
“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.”
From Pericardium to Platform: Broad Application Potential
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, bioactive surface, can be adapted for artificial blood vessels, stent grafts, dura mater substitutes, and artificial skin. For medical device companies, this represents a configurable platform rather than a single implant solution.
Source: 3D Printing Industry
