The aim of the project is to develop a vascular prosthesis with a unique wall design. It is designed to tolerate low flow rates. It is a sandwich composite combining extruded collagen with a polyester knitted scaffold that respects the structure of the native blood vessel. Integration of the scaffold between inner and outer collagen layers will improve the biomechanical response of the prosthesis, which will approach the mechanics of native vascular wall in the circumferential direction.

Research into natural polymers and their solutions, such as collagen, often ignores the effects of extreme external influences on their internal structure, physical properties, thermodynamics and mechanics. This experimental project is focused on the research of changes in the structure and composition of collagen mass due to irradiation and the action of very high pressure. The evaluation of these effects will be performed on the basis of chemical and structural analysis aimed at describing the change in secondary structure, stability and degree of collagen degradation.