Optimizing Cell Deformation in Extrusion-Based Bioprinting Process by Importing Inherent Viscoelasticity Using Computational Fluid Dynamic

Abstract

AbstractBioprinting is an additive manufacturing technique for generating tissue engineering constructs and in vitro models of disease biology, where a 3D gel is deposited in a layer-by-layer manner to produce the desired tissues or organs. Among different bioprinting processes, extrusion-based bioprinting is most conveniently used in which living cells suspended into hydrogel sols are extruded through syringe and collected over the printing platform. The process exerts significant pressure on cells due to the high viscosity of hydrogel and the extrusion pressure applied. The time and pressure of extrusion play important roles in the deformability of cells. In many cases, experimental study becomes difficult due to development of a time taking process in optimizing setup and thus computational modeling of bioprinting process becomes necessary. In this study, we have developed a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) coupled with mass spring model (MSM) of cell to understand cell damages in extrusion-based bioprinting (EBB) process and improved the developed model by integrating viscoelastic properties of cell present into the hydrogel. In this way, we have carried out computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to determine the stress distribution and deformation over different compartmental model of biological cells suspended into hydrogel and optimizes the printing parameters such as inlet velocity, sharpness around nozzle to syringe junction, and number of cells aggregation along with viscoelastic properties of cells for enhancing the cells viability in extrusion-based bioprinting process.KeywordsCFD analysisBioprintingBioinksProny seriesCell deformation