TissueDB/Materials/Polyvinyl Alcohol
License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 by LHcheM
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a water-soluble synthetic polymer. It is made up into a dissolvable filament for 3D printing, and into gels: the freeze–thaw polyvinyl alcohol cryogel, and that gel cast into tubes as polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel tubing — also written PVA hydrogel tubing — which stands in for blood vessels. This page describes dissolvable support filament used for printed parts and purchased PVA hydrogel tubing used to model arteries.
As a dissolvable support filament it is supplied for fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing. In dual-extruder prints the printer deposits PVA support struts alongside the primary build filament (commonly PLA or TPE), and the finished part is then submerged in water to dissolve the PVA away. Support filament is valuable for internal cavities, overhangs, and complex articulations that cannot be printed in a single pass, and it is consumed during post-processing rather than remaining in the finished part.[1]
The gel form. The Iatrotek Cerebrovascular Bypass Simulator uses purchased Kezlex PVA-hydrogel synthetic vessels as donor and recipient arteries for microvascular anastomosis. The study describes 1, 2 and 3 mm diameters and 70 mm lengths. Its validation used 2 mm vessels. They dry easily and must remain moist. The paper does not give a replacement interval, an exact price or a manufacturing recipe for these vessels.[2]
A note on the name. The initials PVA are also used for polyvinyl acetate, the white wood and craft glue sometimes called vinylic glue. That is a different polymer from polyvinyl alcohol and is not the material described on this page.
The gel form in the literature. The freeze–thaw cryogel has been characterised as a tissue-mimicking material. Fromageau et al. measured its Young's modulus from about 20 kPa after one freeze–thaw cycle to 600 kPa after ten, alongside speed of sound, shear wave velocity, mass density and Poisson's ratio.[3] Cournane et al. made 5–6 wt% PVA-cryogel phantoms whose measured stiffness (1.6–16.1 kPa) and acoustic velocity (1540–1570 m/s) mimic those of liver tissue.[4]
Tissues
| Tissue | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Structural — dissolvable print support, not tissue simulant) | Brannan Chest Tube Simulator | Dissolvable support filament for the dual-extruder FDM prints of the ribs, joints and stand. Consumable. Dissolved out of the final simulator geometry before use.[1] | ||
| Artery (donor and recipient) | Iatrotek Cerebrovascular Bypass Simulator | Purchased Kezlex PVA-hydrogel tubing for practising microvascular anastomosis. The study describes 1, 2 and 3 mm diameters and 70 mm lengths. Its validation used 2 mm vessels. Keep the vessels moist. No replacement interval is specified.[2] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brannan V, Dunne CL, Dubrowski A, Parsons MH (2021). "Development of a novel 3D-printed multifunctional thorax model simulator for the simulation-based training of tube thoracostomy." CJEM 23:547–550. DOI: 10.1007/s43678-021-00102-1. PMID: 33783760.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 D'Andrea M, Musio A, Colasanti R, Mongardi L, Fuschillo D, Lofrese G, Tosatto L (2023). "A novel, reusable, realistic neurosurgical training simulator for cerebrovascular bypass surgery: Iatrotek bypass simulator validation study and literature review." Frontiers in Surgery 10:1048083. DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2023.1048083. PMC: PMC9947354. PMID: 36843992. CC BY 4.0.
- ↑ Fromageau J, Gennisson JL, Schmitt C, Maurice RL, Mongrain R, Cloutier G. Estimation of polyvinyl alcohol cryogel mechanical properties with four ultrasound elastography methods and comparison with gold standard testings. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2007;54(3):498-509. PMID: 17375819.
- ↑ Cournane S, Cannon L, Browne JE, Fagan AJ. Assessment of the accuracy of an ultrasound elastography liver scanning system using a PVA-cryogel phantom with optimal acoustic and mechanical properties. Phys Med Biol 2010;55(19):5965-83. DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/55/19/022. PMID: 20858913.
| Authors | Arturo Pelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturo Pelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Materials/Polyvinyl Alcohol". Appropedia. Retrieved October 13, 2026. |