Surface curvature in triply-periodic minimal surface architectures as a distinct design parameter in preparing advanced tissue engineering scaffolds

Abstract

Reproduction of the anatomical structures and functions of tissues using cells and designed 3D scaffolds is an ongoing challenge. For this, scaffolds with appropriate biomorphic surfaces promoting cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation are needed. In this study, eight triply-periodic minimal surface (TPMS)-based scaffolds were designed using specific trigonometric equations, providing the same porosity and the same number of unit cells, while presenting different surface curvatures. The scaffolds were fabricated by stereolithography using a photocurable resin based on the biocompatible, biodegradable and rubber-like material, poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC). A numerical approach was developed to calculate the surface curvature distributions of the TPMS architectures. Moreover, the scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, micro-computed tomography and water permeability measurements. These original scaffold architectures will be helpful to decipher the biofunctional role of the surface curvature of scaffolds intended for tissue engineering applications.

Cell‐Perceived Substrate Curvature Dynamically Coordinates the Direction, Speed, and Persistence of Stromal Cell Migration

“…While we have so far focused on fiber‐ or tube‐like cylindrical structures, where k ≥ 0 (convex) or k ≤ 0 (concave), more complex geometries in biomaterials and scaffolds can concurrently present both positive and negative curvatures to the cells . Thus, we next studied structures that contain both convex and concave surfaces in different directions.…”

Drug-releasing biopolymeric structures manufactured via stereolithography

“…Using the mathematical formulas described by [47,48] cylindrical porous 3D structures with a diamond pore architecture were generated using Mathmod 3.1 (https://sourceforge.net/projects/mathmod/). Subsequently these structures were modified to have a diameter of approximately 10mm and a height of 7.5-8 mm and converted into printable .stl files using CAD software (Rhinoceros 3D, Robert McNeel and associates).…”

The manufacturability and compression properties of the Schwarz Diamond type Ti6Al4V cellular lattice fabricated by selective laser melting

“…The complex topology of TPMS and, as a result, the unique properties makes them useful to design cellular lattice structures for various practical applications. Due to their interconnectivity, tortuosity, and high surface-to-volume ratio, the topology of TPMS might be successfully applied for designing of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering [34][35][36][37].…”