3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Self-setting calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffold with interconnected macropores is hard to prepare without compromising its hydration reaction. Herein, an indirect 3D printing method is using to prepare CPC scaffolds. Detailedly, polycaprolactone (PCL)-sacrificed models with different strut sizes are first printed by 3D plotting technique, and then the CPC pastes are perfused into the PCL models and then self-setting. After the removal of the PCL models, the CPC scaffolds with different pore sizes are obtained. It is showed in the results that the prepared CPC scaffolds had uniform shape and 3D interconnected macropore structure. Meanwhile, the compressive strength of CPC…

The use of porous 3D scaffolds for the repair of bone nonunion and osteoporotic bone is currently an area of great interest. Using a combination of thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) and 3D-plotting (3DP), we have generated hierarchical 3DP/TIPS scaffolds made of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA). A full factorial design of experiments was conducted, in which the PLGA and nHA compositions were varied between 6‒12% w/v and 10‒40% w/w, respectively, totaling 16 scaffold formulations with an overall porosity ranging between 87%‒93%. These formulations included an optimal scaffold design identified in our previous study. The internal structures of the scaffolds…

This paper reports on the hybrid process we have used for producing hierarchical scaffolds made of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA), analyzes their internal structures via scanning electron microscopy, and presents the results of our in vitro proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) for 0 and 21 days. These scaffolds were produced by combining additive manufacturing (AM) and thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) techniques. Slow cooling at a rate of 1.5 °C/min during the TIPS process was used to enable a uniform temperature throughout the scaffolds, and therefore, a relatively uniform pore size range. We produced ten different…

Two major challenges of 3D bioprinting are the retention of structural fidelity and efficient endothelialization for tissue vascularization. Both of these issues are addressed by introducing a versatile 3D bioprinting strategy, in which a templating bioink is deposited layer‐by‐layer alongside a matrix bioink to establish void‐free multimaterial structures. After crosslinking the matrix phase, the templating phase is sacrificed to create a well‐defined 3D network of interconnected tubular channels. This void‐free 3D printing (VF‐3DP) approach circumvents the traditional concerns of structural collapse, deformation, and oxygen inhibition, moreover, it can be readily used to print materials that are widely considered “unprintable.” By…

Inefficient bone regeneration of self‐hardening calcium phosphate cement (CPC) increases the demand for interconnected macropores and osteogenesis‐stimulated substances. It remains a challenge to fabricate porous CPC with interconnected macropores while maintaining its advantages, such as plasticity. Herein, pastes containing CPC and wollastonite (WS) are infiltrated into a 3D plotted poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) network to fabricate plastic CPC‐based composite cement (PLGA/WS/CPC). The PLGA/WS/CPC recovers the plasticity of CPC after being heated above the glass transition temperature of PLGA. The presence of the 3D PLGA network significantly increases the flexibility of CPC in prophase and generates 3D interconnected macropores in situ upon…

Low-concentration hydrogels have favorable properties for many cell functions in tissue engineering but are considerably limited from a scaffold fabrication point of view due to poor three-dimensional (3D) printability. Here, we developed an indirect-bioprinting process for alginate scaffolds and characterized the potential of these scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering applications. The indirect-bioprinting process involves (1) printing a sacrificial framework from gelatin, (2) impregnating the framework with low-concentration alginate, and (3) removing the gelatin framework by an incubation process, thus forming low-concentration alginate scaffolds. The scaffolds were characterized by compression testing, swelling, degradation, and morphological and biological assessment of incorporated or…

The limitations in the transport of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic waste products pose a challenge to the development of bioengineered bone of clinically relevant size. This paper reports the design and characterization of hierarchical macro/microporous scaffolds made of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid and nanohydroxyapatite (PLGA/nHA). These scaffolds were produced by combining additive manufacturing (AM) and thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) techniques. Macrochannels with diameters of ∼300 μm, ∼380 μm, and ∼460 μm were generated by embedding porous 3D-plotted polyethylene glycol (PEG) inside PLGA/nHA/1,4-dioxane or PLGA/1,4-dioxane solutions, followed by PEG extraction using deionized (DI) water. We have used an I-optimal design of experiments…

Despite the rapid and great developments in the field of 3D hydrogel printing, a major ongoing challenge is represented by the development of new processable materials that can be effectively used for bioink formulation. In this work, we present an approach to 3D deposit, a new class of fully-synthetic, biocompatible PolyIsoCyanide (PIC) hydrogels that exhibit a reverse gelation temperature close to physiological conditions (37 °C). Being fully-synthetic, PIC hydrogels are particularly attractive for tissue engineering, as their properties—such as hydrogel stiffness, polymer solubility, and gelation kinetics—can be precisely tailored according to process requirements. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate…

The combination of carbon nanomaterial with three-dimensional (3D) porous polymer substrates has been demonstrated to be an effective approach to manufacture high-performance stretchable conductive materials (SCMs). However, it remains a challenge to fabricate 3D-structured SCMs with outstanding electrical conductivity capability under large strain in a facile way. In this work, the 3D printing technique was employed to prepare 3D porous poly(dimethylsiloxane) (O-PDMS) which was then integrated with carbon nanotubes and graphene conductive network and resulted in highly stretchable conductors (OPCG). Two types of OPCG were prepared, and it has been demonstrated that the OPCG with split-level structure exhibited both higher…

Tissue engineering makes use of the principles of biology and engineering to sustain 3D cell growth and promote tissue repair and/or regeneration. In this study, macro/microporous scaffold architectures have been developed using a hybrid solid freeform fabrication/thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) dissolved in 1,4-dioxane was used to generate a microporous matrix by the TIPS method. The 3D-bioplotting technique was used to fabricate 3D macroporous constructs made of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Embedding the PEG constructs inside the PLGA solution prior to the TIPS process and subsequent extraction of PEG following solvent removal (1,4-dioaxane) resulted in a macro/microporous…