Fabrication of Fibrous 3D Composite Scaffold by Rapid Prototyping for Tissue Engineering Applications

Abstract

To develop the technique or finding the solution of unsolved medical problem, biological and medical practices are not enough to find the ways of treatment, that’s why engineering is continuously involve in the treatment process and combination of biological, medical and engineering principle named as Tissue engineering. In modern medical era Tissue engineering revolutionize the ways of healing process to restore, enhance and replace diseased or damaged organ or tissue. The concept of tissue engineering reincarnate, the creation of an extra cellular matrix named as Scaffold that has the appropriate physical, chemical, and mechanical properties to enable cell penetration and tissue formation in three dimensions. There are numerous method for fabrication of 3D scaffold. Among them Rapid prototyping is most ideal technique to fabricate 3D extra cellular matrix because of its accuracy in designing of complex structure with control of pore size as well as structure. Thing-O-Matic Replicator instrument is a Rapid Prototyping technique which is designed for the filament form of material. This work is focused on modification of instrument for scaffold fabrication with liquid phase of material. After modification, process parameters were optimized for the sodium alginate and gelatin composite such as concentration of individual solution, ratio of alginate and gelatin sodium, crosslinking agent, pressure, distance between nozzle and platform etc. Fabricated scaffolds were further characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, contact angle measurement, and tensile strength testing. Sodium alginate and gelatin composite scaffolds were produced by the modified setup with the range of diameter 150µm to 190µm and porosity with horizontal length 190µm to 300µm. The tensile strength measurement gives yield strength 60 kilopascal for prepared scaffold reinforced with ß-TCP. Analysis of contact angle measurement data shows the high hydrophilic nature of scaffold after reinforcing with ß-TCP.