3D Bioplotter Research Papers

PCL polymers have been widely used in 3D printing of scaffolds over the past few decades, which can be applied in a variety of medical devices. However, PCL has intrinsic defects, such as high hydrophilicity which causes low biocompatibility. The research reported in this thesis aims to modify existing PCL polymers by developing a series of PEG-PCL block copolymers with different ratios of blocks and investigate their potential as implants for soft tissue engineering and airway reconstruction. The introduction of PEG blocks to PCL enhanced biocompatibility towards mammalian cells compared to the commercially available PCL with same molecular weight, without…

A modular reinforced bone scaffold with enhanced mechanical properties has recently been developed by our group. It includes: 1) A load-bearing module: a skeleton which is made of a slowly degradable material, undertaking mechanical necessities of the scaffold, and 2) A bio-reactive module: a porous and biodegradable component undertaking biological necessities of the scaffold. The load-bearing module is placed into the bio-reactive module to reinforce it. This paper is dedicated to optimizing the load-bearing module for a certain customized alveolar bone defect. More specifically, a 3D-printed skeleton, made of polycaprolactone (PCL), is optimized based on the boundary conditions of the…

Regenerative repair of craniomaxillofacial bone injuries is challenging due to both the large size and irregular shape of many defects. Mineralized collagen scaffolds have previously been shown to be a promising biomaterial implant to accelerate craniofacial bone regeneration in vivo. Here we describe inclusion of a 3D-printed polymer or ceramic-based mesh into a mineralized collagen scaffold to improve mechanical and biological activity. Mineralized collagen scaffolds were reinforced with 3D-printed Fluffy-PLG (ultraporous polylactide-co-glycolide co-polymer) or Hyperelastic Bone (90wt% calcium phosphate in PLG) meshes. We show degradation byproducts and acidic release from the printed structures have limited negative impact on the viability…