Characterisation of the surface structure of 3D printed scaffolds for cell infiltration and surgical suturing

Abstract

A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.For more information, please contact eprints@nottingham.ac.uk Abstract3D printing is of great interest for tissue engineering scaffolds due to the ability to form complex geometries and control internal structures, including porosity and pore size. The porous structure of scaffolds plays an important role in cell ingrowth and nutrition infusion. Although the internal porosity and pore size of 3D printed scaffolds have been frequently studied, the surface porosity and pore size, which are critical for cell infiltration and mass transport, have not been investigated. The surface geometry can differ considerably from the internal scaffold structure depending on the 3D printing process. It is vital to be able to control the surface geometry of scaffolds as well as the internal structure to fabricate optimal architectures. This work presents a method to control the surface porosity and pore size of 3D printed scaffolds. Six scaffold designs have been printed with surface porosities ranging from 3% -21%. We have characterised the overall scaffold porosity and surface porosity using optical microscopy and microCT. It has been found that surface porosity has a significant impact on cell infiltration and proliferation. In addition, the porosity of the surface has been found to have an effect on mechanical properties and on the forces required to penetrate the scaffold with a surgical suturing needle. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the surface geometry of extrusion-based 3D printed scaffolds and demonstrates the importance of surface geometry in cell infiltration and clinical manipulation.

Porous Calcium Phosphate Ceramic Scaffolds with Tailored Pore Orientations and Mechanical Properties Using Lithography-Based Ceramic 3D Printing Technique

“…The free and fracture surfaces of the CaP frameworks are presented in Figure 11 A,B, respectively. The CaP frameworks revealed high densification but a rough surface ( Figure 11 A), which is advantageous for the attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of osteoblasts when used as bone scaffolds [ 42 , 43 ]. In addition, only some residual pores were observed on the fracture surface ( Figure 11 B).…”

Human-scale tissues with patterned vascular networks by additive manufacturing of sacrificial sugar-protein composites

“…GSM printing used heated syringes (at 60˚C) on a 3D Discovery® bioprinter (RegenHU). PCL (M n = 40,000 - 50,000 g/mol; Sigma-Aldrich, UK) was printed at 77°C using a precision extrusion deposition system as described in [21] . The material was extruded through a 23 gauge nozzle (0.33mm) steel nozzle.…”

Feasibility of Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for in Vitro and in Vivo Monitoring Mineralization of Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

“…The printhead travelled at a speed of 12 mm/s and the pressure for printing PLGA was 4 bar. 29 The PLGA 3D-printed scaffolds have well-defined structure and regular pore size, and the distribution of pore size is centralized, result in a higher transparency and porosity, see Figure 1 Hydroxyapatite powder ([Ca5(OH)(PO4)3]x), with particle size < 200m, was purchased from Sigma Aldrich (CAS number: 12167-74-7). Fresh chicken skin samples (thickness 0.5 -1 mm) were obtained from a local supermarket.…”