Precision Extrusion Deposition With Integrated Assisting Cooling to Fabricate 3D Scaffolds

Abstract

As the field of Tissue Engineering advances to its ultimate goal of engineering a fully functional organ, there’s an increase need for enabling technologies and integrated system. Important roles in scaffold guided tissue engineering are the fabrication of extra-cellular matrices (ECM) that have the capabilities to maintain cell growth, cell attachment, and ability to form new tissues. Three-dimensional scaffolds often address multiple mechanical, biological and geometrical design constraints. With advances of technologies in the recent decades, Computer Aided Tissue Engineering (CATE) has much development in solid freeform fabrication (SFF) process, which includes but not limited to the fabrication of tissue scaffolds with precision control. Drexel University patented Precision Extrusion Deposition (PED) device uses computer aided motion and extrusion to precisely fabricate the internal and external architecture, porosity, pore size, and interconnectivity within the scaffold. The high printing resolution, precision, and controllability of the PED allows for closer mimicry of tissues and organs. Literatures have shown that some cells prefer scaffolds built from stiff material; stiff materials typically have a high melting point. Biopolymers with high melting points are difficult to manipulate to fabricate 3D scaffold. With the use of the PED and an integrated Assisting Cooling (AC) device; high melting points of biopolymer should no longer limit the fabrication of 3D scaffold. The AC device is mounted at the nozzle of the PED where the heat from the material delivery chamber of the PED has no influence on the AC fluid temperature. The AC has four cooling points, located north, south, east, and west; this allows for cooling in each direction of motion on a XY plane. AC uses but not limited to nitrogen, compressed air, and water to cool polymer filaments as it is extruded from the PED and builds scaffolds. Scaffolds fabricated from high melting point polymers that use this new integrated component to the PED should illustrate good mechanical properties, structural integrity, and precision of pore sizes and interconnectivity.