Significant advancements have been made within the field of regenerative medicine over the last few decades with the goal of creating biological substitutes to mimic tissue for research and wound healing purposes. Simply put, regenerative medicine works by understanding and then manipulating the processes by which cells communicate and proliferate for healing purposes. Before valuable progress can be made in regenerative medicine, smaller steps need to be taken first, like understanding the biomaterials that are used within regenerative medicine research. Biomaterials, which are materials that interact with cells and perform a function, are used to mimic the native extracellular matrix of cell scaffolding in regenerative medicine research. Numerous types of biomaterials exist, and it is important to choose the most appropriate material for the goal at hand. Therefore, biomaterials need to be characterized before useful research with the materials can be done. An important aspect of biomaterials that can be characterized is fluid flow through the biomaterials. This is important because adequate transport of oxygen, nutrients, waste, and soluble factors are required for cell proliferation and survival.[1] Biomaterials can be characterized based on their chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics via many different characterization methods that are discussed in this paper. The overall goal of this research is to characterize the fluid flow metrics through Micro-porous Annealed Particle (MAP) hydrogels and others using Dynamic Contrast Enhanced – Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) and computational analysis of the images via MATLAB. The analysis was utilized to analyze the fluid flow through several different biomaterial types, allowing for observational comparison between biomaterial groups. Overall, this method for characterizing fluid flow through biomaterials shows promise for future use and further understanding of biomaterials' roles in regenerative medicine. / Master of Science / Regenerative medicine encompasses the use of scientific knowledge and tools to determine novel methods for generating functioning tissues and organs. Commonly, biomaterials are used to assist in this process. Biomaterials frequently function as a solid structure that houses cells and encourages cell growth, eventually leading to tissue formation. Many different types of biomaterials exist, so it is important to determine the most suitable biomaterial for each project to improve efficiency and experiment outcomes. Biomaterial properties, like stiffness or flexibility, can be determined through various scientific testing methods. An important property of biomaterials is the fluid flow through the biomaterials. Cells housed inside biomaterials require oxygen and nutrients to grow, so it is important that fluids carrying these molecules can flow through biomaterials to provide support for the cells. This paper utilizes a computational analysis method to analyze Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images of fluid flow through biomaterials. The analysis provides information on fluid flow metrics through the biomaterials, like fluid flow velocity and direction. This analysis provides a new method for understanding biomaterial properties and provides the analysis for several different biomaterials.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/119420 |
| Date | 12 June 2024 |
| Creators | Haynes, Samantha Dare |
| Contributors | Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Munson, Jennifer Megan, Roberts, LaDeidra Monet, Staples, Anne E. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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