Smart fabric mimics one of the body’s hardest tissues
23/01/2017
The UNSW team used a special 3D imaging system to map the structure of the periosteum tissue. They used this information to scale up its key components, before producing prototypes of the new smart fabric.
“The periosteum, a soft tissue sleeve that envelops all nonarticular bony surfaces of the body, comprises an inherently ‘smart’ material that gives hard bones added strength under high impact loads,” the researchers said.
The tissue is made out of a combination of collagen and elastin, but the fibres of these two fibres are too small to fit into a loom, explained Professor Melissa Knothe Tate, who led the research team. “We used elastic material that mimics elastin and silk that mimics collagen,” she said. “The result is a series of textile swatch prototypes that mimic periosteum’s smart stress-strain properties.”
It is hoped that this fabric could have a wide range of applications, including protective suits that stiffen on impact, or as replacement biological tissue for damaged or worn joints.
On a wider scale, the UNSW team says the process of computer modelling and scaling up of key components could be used to create other materials.
“We have also demonstrated the feasibility of using this technique to test other fibres to produce a whole range of new textiles,” said Professor Tate.
“Our longer term goal is to weave biological tissues – essentially human body parts – in the lab to replace and repair our failing joints that reflect the biology, architecture and mechanical properties of the periosteum,” added Joanna Ng, lead author of the study.
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