Production of fibrous polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering using an automated solution blow spinning system

Abstract

Introduction: Solution blow spinning (SBS) and airbrushing are two techniques that can be used as alternatives to electrospinning in the production of fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE). SBS seems particularly interesting due to its versatility, however, it has not been much explored and no automated SBS systems were found in the literature. Therefore, the present work aimed to develop such equipment and compare the results to those found for airbrushing, considering the same set of parameters. Methods: A new SBS set up, composed of a specially designed nozzle with automated movement, a syringe pump and a compressor, was used to produce fibrous poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) mats. The airbrushed fibers were produced under the same conditions, and samples of both types of mats were imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to compare them in terms of microstructure and fiber diameter. Results: The SBS system was robust and performed well, in terms of movement and fiber deposition. In comparison to airbrushing's, SBS mats presented different microstructural characteristics (considering the parameters used). Conclusion: The biggest advantage over airbrushing may be its versatility and simple automation, which may improve sample reproducibility, especially considering scaled up processes. To further improve this apparatus, a better understanding of how process variables interfere in the microstructure is needed, as well as more sophisticated interface and operation.

Solution Blow Spinning of Polycaprolactone—Rheological Determination of Spinnability and the Effect of Processing Conditions on Fiber Diameter and Alignment

“…SBS is used to produce fibrous polymer mats with a wide range of morphologies, controlled by a number of process parameters [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. The characteristics of solution blow spun polymer fibrous mats, such as average fiber diameter and diameter distribution, fiber morphology, alignment, and porosity, are affected by the process parameters, such as polymer solution concentration, solvent type, and polymer–solvent molecular interactions, solution viscosity, air pressure, polymer solution feed rate, and collector rotational speed [ 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

Solution Blow Spinning (SBS): A Promising Spinning System for Submicron/Nanofibre Production

“…They mentioned that the airbrushing tended to create more fibre bundles than SBS and produced more beads as well. Diameter ranges were similar, but airbrushing gave a narrower distribution than that of SBS (i.e., 132-1607 nm for airbrushing and 132-1268 nm for semi-automatic SBS) [48].…”

“…For atomizing the polymer solution, the air pressure is applied and the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the collector plate is set typically at the range of 30-40 cm [47]. The reduced cost and instant availability are the benefits of airbrushing; there are less parameters in the airbrushing method that obstruct reproducibility [48,49]. Dias et al found the optimum working conditions during fabricating SBS spun PVDF nanofibres as follows: the pressure at 5 bar, a working distance of 20 cm, and a polymer concentration of 20% (w/v) [49].…”

“…It is also worth mentioning that the airbrushing SBS has benefits over basic SBS in terms of cost and availability. The airbrushing SBS starts at $25, while solution blow spinning requires $260 for the nozzle and $690 for the syringe pump [48]. According to Areka, a single nozzle SBS system needs 300 l/min of compressed air and 1.5 kWh (approx.)…”

“…Bhullar et al mentioned that the airbrushed Nylon-6/AgCl composite nanofibres may be used as a potential candidate for fabricating antibacterial scaffolding system suitable for tissue engineering fields [46]. The production of biometrics scaffold for tissue regeneration mimicking the geometry of the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of tissues has been reported by many researchers [48,74]. SBS system also permits for portable device and conformal fibre deposition on any substrate [35].…”