A Novel Bioreactor for Tissue Engineered Heart Valves Based on Controlled Cyclic Stretching

The tissue-engineered heart valve (TEHV) is considered a promising alternative for valve replacement, especially in pediatric patients. To date, most TEHVs have been cultured in pulse-flow bioreactors to generate mechanical loads and deformations leading to tissue growth (1, 2). Our approach has been to apply controlled mechanical stretching to induce tissue growth (3). In this study, a novel controlled cyclic stretch bioreactor is presented to enhance functional properties of TEHVs.