Development of a novel pressure swing adsorption dehydration system for the preservation of dermal tissue

Due to the perishable nature of bioproducts, the need to preserve them until required is of paramount importance. This is particularly true for tissue engineered products such as the skin. The paper reports on a novel drying technology, Pressure Swing Adsorption Dehydration System (PSAD), for the dehydration of freshly prepared acellular porcine dermal tissue. The aim is to investigate the effectiveness of the PSADS to obtain partially dehydrated mammalian dermal tissue suitable for biomedical preservation. Experiments were carried out by a varying number of parameters such as the chamber pressure level, duration and temperature. Samples were weighed and the surface color was taken periodically to track moisture removal rate and color deterioration due to oxidation. Scanning electron microscopy images of the lyophilized and processed samples were also taken for comparison. Results indicated that the depressurized level, frequency of pressure drops and temperature have positive effects on dehydration rate. Color change was generally low, indicating low level of oxidation. Hence, the PSADS provides a feasible way that can be as good if not better than current drying processes to obtain partially dried dermal tissue while minimizing product deterioration.