Melt Electrowriting of Complex 3D Anatomically Relevant Scaffolds

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, vol. 8, pp. 793

Abstract

The manufacture of fibrous scaffolds with tailored micrometric features and anatomically relevant three-dimensional (3D) geometries for soft tissue engineering applications remains a great challenge. Melt electrowriting (MEW) is an advanced additive manufacturing technique capable of depositing predefined micrometric fibers. However, it has been so far inherently limited to simple planar and tubular scaffold geometries because of the need to avoid polymer jet instabilities. In this work, we surmount the technical boundaries of MEW to enable the manufacture of complex fibrous scaffolds with simultaneous controlled micrometric and patient-specific anatomic features. As an example of complex geometry, aortic root scaffolds featuring the sinuses of Valsalva were realized. By modeling the electric field strength associated with the MEW process for these constructs, we found that the combination of a conductive core mandrel with a non-conductive 3D printed model reproducing the complex geometry minimized the variability of the electric field thus enabling the accurate deposition of fibers. We validated these findings experimentally and leveraged the micrometric resolution of MEW to fabricate unprecedented fibrous aortic root scaffolds with anatomically relevant shapes and biomimetic microstructures and mechanical properties. Furthermore, we demonstrated the fabrication of patient-specific aortic root constructs from the 3D reconstruction of computed tomography clinical data.

Authors 8

1. Navid Toosi Saidy

   Queensland University of Technology · The University of Queensland

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre in Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia

   School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia

2. Tara Shabab

   Queensland University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre in Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia

3. Onur Bas

   Queensland University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   ARC ITTC in Additive Biomanufacturing, Queensland University of Technology, Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

   Centre in Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia

4. Diana M. Rojas‐González

   Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   Medical Materials and Implants, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany

5. Matthias F. Menne Aachen Department of Cardiovascular Engineering Institute of Applied Medical Engineering Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

6. Dietmar Werner Hutmacher

   Queensland University of Technology · Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   ARC ITTC in Additive Biomanufacturing, Queensland University of Technology, Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

   Centre in Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia

   Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany

7. Petra Mela corresponding Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   Technical University of Munich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Medical Materials and Implants, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany

8. Elena M. De‐Juan‐Pardo corresponding

   Queensland University of Technology · The University of Western Australia · Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research · Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre in Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia

   Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

   Translational 3d Printing Laboratory for Advanced Tissue Engineering (T3mPLATE), Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia