"In vivo tissue-engineered" valved conduit with designed molds and laser processed scaffold.

Background: "In body tissue architecture" technology is a practical concept of regenerative medicine that uses the living recipient body's reaction to a foreign object as a reactor for autologous tissue organization. A novel autologous valved conduit was produced by creating a specially designed conduit-mold composite and elastomeric scaffold for this unique in vivo tissue engineering.

Methods: Convex and concave plastic molds assembled with a small aperture of 500-800 microm were inserted into a microporous elastomeric conduit scaffold.

Architecture of an in vivo-tissue engineered autologous conduit "Biovalve".

As a practical concept of regenerative medicine, we have focused on in vivo tissue engineering utilizing the foreign body reaction. Plastic substrates for valvular leaflet organization, consisting of two pieces assembled with a small aperture were inserted into a microporous polyurethane conduit scaffold. The assembly was placed in the subcutaneous spaces of Japanese white rabbits for 1 month.