(April 25, 2015) TU
Wien and MedUni Vienna have developed artificial blood vessels, which are
broken down by the body and replaced with its own tissue.
Blocked blood vessels can quickly become dangerous. It is
often necessary to replace a blood vessel – either by another vessel taken from
the body or even by artificial vascular prostheses. Together, Vienna University
of Technology and Vienna Medical University have developed artificial blood
vessels made from a special elastomer material, which has excellent mechanical
properties. Over time, these artificial blood vessels are replaced by
endogenous material. At the end of this restorative process, a natural, fully
functional vessel is once again in place. The method has already been used
successfully in rats.