Fused deposition modeling of novel scaffold architectures for tissue engineering applications.
Fused deposition modeling, a rapid prototyping technology, was used to produce novel scaffolds with honeycomb-like pattern, fully interconnected channel network, and controllable porosity and channel size. A bioresorbable polymer poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) was developed as a filament modeling material to produce porous scaffolds, made of layers of directionally aligned microfilaments, using this computer-controlled extrusion and deposition process. The PCL scaffolds were produced with a range of channel size 160-700 microm, filament diameter 260-370 microm and porosity 48-77%, and regular geometrical honeycomb pores, depending on the processing parameters. The scaffolds of different porosity also exhibited a pattern of compressive stress-strain behavior characteristic of porous solids under such loading. The compressive stiffness ranged from 4 to 77 MPa, yield strength from 0.4 to 3.6 MPa and yield strain from 4% to 28%. Analysis of the measured data shows a high correlation between the scaffold porosity and the compressive properties based on a power-law relationship.
Zein
Iwan
I
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Hutmacher
Dietmar W
DW
Tan
Kim Cheng
KC
Teoh
Swee Hin
SH
D016880:Anisotropy; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008954:Models, Biological; D011091:Polyesters; D023822:Tissue Engineering
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone