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In the field of bone defect repair, gradient porous scaffolds have received increased attention because they provide a better environment for promoting tissue regeneration. In this study, we propose an effective method to generate bionic porous scaffolds based on the TPMS (triply periodic minimal surface) and SF (sigmoid function) methods. First, cortical bone morphological features (e.g., pore size and distribution) were determined for several regions of a rabbit femoral bone by analyzing CT-scans. A finite element method was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the bone at these respective areas. These results were used to place different TPMS substructures into one scaffold domain with smooth transitions. The geometrical parameters of the scaffolds were optimized to match the elastic properties of a human bone. With this proposed method, a functional gradient porous scaffold could be designed and produced by an additive manufacturing method.

Enterocutaneous fistulas (ECFs) are great challenges during the open abdomen. The loss of digestive juice, water-electrolyte imbalance and malnutrition are intractable issues during management of ECF. Techniques such as “fistula patch” and vacuum-assisted closure therapy have been applied to prevent contamination of open abdominal wounds by intestinal fistula drainage. However, failures are encountered due to high-output fistula and anatomical complexity. Here, we report 3D-printed patient-personalized fistula stent for ECF treatment based on 3D reconstruction of the fistula image. Subsequent follow-up demonstrated that this stent was well-implanted and effective to reduce the volume of enteric fistula effluent.

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Microfluidic technologies for isolating cells of interest from a heterogeneous sample have attracted great attentions, due to the advantages of less sample consumption, simple operating procedure, and high separation accuracy. According to the working principles, the microfluidic cell sorting techniques can be categorized into biochemical (labeled) and physical (label‐free) methods. However, the inherent drawbacks of each type of method may somehow influence the popularization of these cell sorting techniques. Using the multiple complementary isolation principles is a promising strategy to overcome this problem, therefore there appears to be a continuing trend to integrate two or more sorting methods together. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in microfluidic cell sorting techniques relied on both physical and biochemical principles, with emphasis on the mechanisms of cell separation. The biochemical cell sorting techniques enhanced by physical principles and the physical cell sorting techniques enhanced by biochemical principles, are first introduced. Then, we highlight on‐chip magnetic‐activated cell sorting, on‐chip fluorescence‐activated cell sorting, multi‐step cell sorting and multi‐principle cell sorting techniques, which are based on both physical and biochemical separation mechanisms. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of the integrated microfluidics for cell sorting are discussed.

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Network flowing on the 3D PDMS microfluidic chips fabricated with replication of a 3D printed wax mold.