ED Sciences Chimiques
Formulation and mechanical properties of porous polymer materials for kidney surgery
by Gabrielle LACROIX (Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal)
The defense will take place at 14h00 - Amphithéâtre du CRPP 115 avenue du docteur Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac
in front of the jury composed of
- Olivier MONDAIN-MONVAL - Professeur - CRPP, Université de Bordeaux - Directeur de these
- Nicolas BREMOND - Maître de conférences - ESPCI - Rapporteur
- Martin IN - Directeur de recherche - Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, Université de Montpellier - Rapporteur
- Cécile ZAKRI - Professeure - CRPP, Université de Bordeaux - Examinateur
In order to continuously improve cancer surgery, medical staff need new materials and techniques that will allow them to train on accurate 3D models rather than biological ones. With this in mind, the RHU Urology 3D project, funded by the National Research Agency, aims at producing kidney models whose anatomical, mechanical and bleeding properties are as close as possible to those of real kidneys. The goal is for these objects to ultimately be used for the training of medical personnel in surgery. This thesis focuses on the formulation of 3D-printable inks based on silicone and on the characterizations of the materials obtained from these inks. In order to match the final material with the characteristics of living kidneys, the mechanical properties (Young's modulus and stress at break) of silicone are modified and a mechanism for releasing fluid at the cut of the material (pseudo-bleeding) is set up. To do so, water inclusions are suspended in the silicone before its crosslinking. Thanks to different formulation protocols, materials containing several ranges of droplet sizes (1 to 200 μm), water volume fractions (up to 70 vol.%) and aggregation states are obtained. Not only does the addition of water droplets in the material make it softer, but it also enables water release at the cut. The mechanical properties correspond in part to those of the real organs and the pseudo bleeding is convincing (from the surgeons' opinion) enough to mimic the alteration of the micro-vascularization when cut. Overall, these materials enrich the range of silicone inks that can be used to create a biomimetic kidney model.