Artificial Skin Simulants: Development and Biomechanical Testing at Different Strain Rates

Due to ethical and biosafety concerns, the availability and use of cadaveric human skin in a clinical setting for different experimental testing is a very challenging task. Material models mimicking the linear and nonlinear mechanical behavior of human skin tissue are indispensable for various biomechanical testing applications, such as sports injuries and lethal as well as non-lethal ballistics. To date, the widely used materials models are gelatin, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and animal models, including porcine and bovine skin samples. In this study, we focused on a low-cost castable material system that can precisely simulate the mechanical properties of human skin tissue. A two-part polymeric material of different compositions was mixed in a specific proportion, and the fabricated test coupons were tested to characterize their mechanical behavior. The developed test coupons were tested at different strain rates to observe the variation of the results with the change in strain rate. The developed skin tissue simulants have no ethical and biosafety concerns and would be helpful in surgical training, making accurate medical models by substituting the human cadaveric skin.