3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Displaying all papers by Q. Li (8 results)

Tailoring fractal structure via 3D printing to achieve flexible stretchable electrodes based on Ecoflex/CNT/CF

Materials Today Communications 2024 Volume 38, Article 107721

Flexible electrodes are crucial for the widespread application of flexible electronics. Flexible stretchable electrodes are a research hotspot for finding a solution for the inability of flexible electrodes to withstand large deformations. In this study, the suitability of silicone rubber (Ecoflex), carbon nanotube (CNT), and carbon fiber (CF) composite materials for flexible devices and their ratios were evaluated for the first time. 3D-printed electrodes based on fractal structures with tensile insensitivity and high linearity were prepared to achieve integrated stretching of flexible devices. To demonstrate the benefits and impact of fractal structures on electrode performance, we fabricated flexible stretchable electrodes…

Enhanced osteochondral repair with hyaline cartilage formation using an extracellular matrix-inspired natural scaffold

Science Bulletin 2023 Volume 68, Issue 17, Pages 1904-1917

Osteochondral defects pose a great challenge and a satisfactory strategy for their repair has yet to be identified. In particular, poor repair could result in the generation of fibrous cartilage and subchondral bone, causing the degeneration of osteochondral tissue and eventually leading to repair failure. Herein, taking inspiration from the chemical elements inherent in the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), we proposed a novel ECM-mimicking scaffold composed of natural polysaccharides and polypeptides for osteochondral repair. By meticulously modifying natural biopolymers to form reversible guest–host and rigid covalent networks, the scaffold not only exhibited outstanding biocompatibility, cell adaptability, and biodegradability, but also…

Three-Dimensional Printed Bimodal Electronic Skin with High Resolution and Breathability for Hair Growth

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2022 Volume 14, Issue 27, Pages 31493-31501

People with neurological deficits face difficulties perceiving their surroundings, resulting in an urgent need for wearable electronic skin (e-skin) that can monitor external stimuli and temperature changes. However, the monolithic structure of e-skin is not conducive to breathability and hinders hair growth, limiting its wearing comfort. In this work, we prepared fully three-dimensional (3D) printed e-skin that allowed hair penetration and growth. This e-skin also achieved simultaneous pressure and temperature detection and a high tactile resolution of 100 cm–2, which is close to that of human fingertips. The temperature sensor maintained linear measurements within 10–60 °C. The pore microstructure prepared…

Loose Pre-Cross-Linking Mediating Cellulose Self-Assembly for 3D Printing Strong and Tough Biomimetic Scaffolds

Biomacromolecules 2022 Volume 23, Issue 3, Pages 877-888

The lack of an effective printable ink preparation method and the usual mechanically weak performance obstruct the functional 3D printing hydrogel exploitation and application. Herein, we propose a gentle pre-cross-linking strategy to enable a loosely cross-linked cellulose network for simultaneously achieving favorable printability and a strong hydrogel network via mediating the cellulose self-assembly. A small amount of epichlorohydrin is applied to (i) slightly pre-cross-link the cellulose chains for forming the percolating network to regulate the rheological properties and (ii) form the loosely cross-linked points to mediate the cellulose chains’ self-assembly for achieving superior mechanical properties. The fabrication of the complex…

Digestion degree is a key factor to regulate the printability of pure tendon decellularized extracellular matrix bio-ink in extrusion-based 3D cell printing

Biofabrication 2020 Volume 12, Number 4, Article 045011

Improving the printability of pure, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) bio-ink without altering its physiological components has been a challenge in three-dimensional (3D) cell printing. To improve the printability of the bio-ink, we first investigated the digestion process of the powdered dECM material obtained from porcine tendons. We manifested the digestion process of tendon derived dECM powders, which includes dissolution, gelatinization and solubilization. After a short dissolution period (around 10 min), we observed a ‘High viscosity slurry’ status (3 h) of the dECM precursors, i.e. the gelatinization process, followed by the solubilization processes, i.e. a ‘Medium viscosity slurry’ period (12 h)…

3D printed silk-gelatin hydrogel scaffold with different porous structure and cell seeding strategy for cartilage regeneration

Bioactive Materials 2021 Volume 6, Issue 10, Pages 3396-3410

Hydrogel scaffolds are attractive for tissue defect repair and reorganization because of their human tissue-like characteristics. However, most hydrogels offer limited cell growth and tissue formation ability due to their submicron- or nano-sized gel networks, which restrict the supply of oxygen, nutrients and inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of encapsulated cells. In recent years, 3D printed hydrogels have shown great potential to overcome this problem by introducing macro-pores within scaffolds. In this study, we fabricated a macroporous hydrogel scaffold through horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mediated crosslinking of silk fibroin (SF) and tyramine-substituted gelatin (GT) by extrusion-based low-temperature 3D printing. Through physicochemical characterization,…

Three-dimensional printed multiphasic scaffolds with stratified cell-laden gelatin methacrylate hydrogels for biomimetic tendon-to-bone interface engineering

Journal of Orthopaedic Translation 2020 Volume 23, Pages 89-100

Background The anatomical properties of the enthesis of the rotator cuff are hardly regained during the process of healing. The tendon-to-bone interface is normally replaced by fibrovascular tissue instead of interposition fibrocartilage, which impairs biomechanics in the shoulder and causes dysfunction. Tissue engineering offers a promising strategy to regenerate a biomimetic interface. Here, we report heterogeneous tendon-to-bone interface engineering based on a 3D-printed multiphasic scaffold. Methods A multiphasic poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)–PCL/tricalcium phosphate–PCL/tricalcium phosphate porous scaffold was manufactured using 3D printing technology. The three phases of the scaffold were designed to mimic the graded tissue regions in the tendon-to-bone interface—tendon, fibrocartilage, and…

Hydroxyapatite /Collagen 3D printed Scaffolds and their Osteogenic Effects on hBMSCs

Tissue Engineering Part A 2019 Volume: 25 Issue 17-18, Pages 1261-1271

3D printing provides a novel approach to repair bone defects using customized biomimetic tissue scaffolds. To make a bone substitute closest to natural bone structure and composition, two different types of hydroxyapatite, Nano hydroxyapatite (nHA) and deproteinized bovine bone (DBB), were dispersed into collagen (CoL) to prepare the bio-ink for 3D printing. In doing so, a porous architecture was manufactured with 3D printing technology. The physical and chemical properties of the materials were evaluated, including biocompatibility and effect on the osteogenic differentiation of the human bone marrow-derived mesenchyme stem cells (hBMSCs). The XPS, XRD, FTIR, and the mechanical analysis of…