title: Effect of stiffness of micron/sub-micron electrospun fibers in cell seeding.
abstract: The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model for cell seeding depth in electrospun scaffold as a function of fiber stiffness. Electrospun scaffolds (micron and submicron) and 3T3 fibroblasts are used as scaffold-cell systems under vacuum seeding conditions. Atomic force microscopy is used to determine the Young's modulus (E) as a function of fiber diameter. A higher E value led to a lower depth of cell seeding (closer to the surface) indicating that nanofibrous scaffolds offer higher resistance to cell movement compared to microfibrous scaffold. An energy balance model was developed to predict cell seeding depth as a function of E for various vacuum pressures. Experimental data was used in the model to extract unknown parameters to predict cell seeding depth as a function of vacuum pressure for different stiffness scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4SB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nandula D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Wanasekara
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, India, 751 013.
authors.forename: Shouryadipta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: The Center for Engineering Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 02747.
authors.forename: Vijaya B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Chalivendra
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 02747.
authors.forename: Sankha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhowmick
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D051379:Mice; D049329:Nanostructures; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
keywords: 3T3 fibroblasts; cell seeding; electrospun scaffolds; energy approach; vacuum seeding