Abstract
To demonstrate that portable electrospinning devices can spin a wide range of polymers into submicron fibres and provide a mesh quality comparable to those produced with benchtop machines. We have designed a small, battery-operated electrospinning apparatus which enables control over the voltage and the flow rate of the polymer solution via a microcontroller. It can be used to electrospin a range of commonly used polymers including poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(p-dioxanone), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl acohol) and poly(vinyl butyral). Moreover, electrospun meshes are produced with a quality comparable to a benchtop machine. We also show that the portable apparatus is able to electrospray beads and microparticles. Finally, we highlight the potential of the device for wound healing applications by demonstrating the possibility of electrospinning onto pig and human skins. Portable electrospinning devices are still at an early stage of development but they could soon become an attractive alternative to benchtop machines, in particular for uses that require mobility and a higher degree of flexibility, such as for wound healing applications.
Highlights
Electrospinning is currently one of the most successful methods used to produce polymer submicron fibres
To demonstrate that portable electrospinning devices can spin a wide range of polymers into submicron fibres and provide a mesh quality comparable to those produced with benchtop machines
We demonstrate the possibility of electrospinning directly onto skin to highlight the potential of the apparatus for wound healing applications
Summary
Electrospinning is currently one of the most successful methods used to produce polymer submicron fibres. The submicron scale dimensions of the fibres and the high surface area to volume ratio of the meshes provide electrospun materials with unique properties. They have found applications in many areas including aerospace and aviation, automotive, electronics and semiconductors, energy, filtration, textiles, cosmetics, and medicine. Electrospun fibres can be used as scaffolds for tissue engineering, wound healing devices and drug-delivery systems Their potential as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications mainly relies on their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix surrounding cells in tissues and organs. Another approach proposed to assist the healing process is to electrospun living cells together with the fibres (Townsend-Nicholson and Jayasinghe 2006; Jayasinghe 2013)
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