Fabrication of Multi-layered Macroscopic Hydrogel Scaffold Composed of Multiple Components by Precise Control of UV Energy

Abstract

Hydrogel scaffolds composed of multiple components are promising platform in tissue engineering as a transplantation materials or artificial organs. Here, we present a new fabrication method for implementing multi-layered macroscopic hydrogel scaffold composed of multiple components by controlling height of hydrogel layer through precise control of ultraviolet (UV) energy density. Through the repetition of the photolithography process with energy control, we can form several layers of hydrogel with different height. We characterized UV energy-dependent profiles with single-layered PEGDA posts photocrosslinked by the modular methodology and examined the optical effect on the fabrication of multi-layered, macroscopic hydrogel structure. Finally, we successfully demonstrated the potential applicability of our approach by fabricating various macroscopic hydrogel constructs composed of multiple hydrogel layers.