Self-powered portable melt electrospinning for in situ wound dressing

Abstract

Background: Electrospun (e-spun) nanofibers for wound dressing have attracted wide attention due to its large specific surface area, large porosity and breathability. Compared with solution electrospinning (e-spinning), melt e-spinning is more bio-friendly without toxic solvent participation, which provides the possibility of in situ e-spinning on wounds directly. However, previously reported melt e-spinning devices were usually bulky and cumbersome due to their necessary heating unit, and different components were separated to avoid electrostatic interference. Results: In this article, we report on a self-powered hand-held melt e-spinning gun which can work without any external power supply (outdoors). The problem of electrostatic interference for this integrated device was solved by using a special high heat transfer insulation unit. The apparatus is easy and safe to operate by a single hand due to its small volume (24 × 6 × 13 cm 3) and light weight (about 450 g). Some biodegradable polymers, for example, polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers were successful e-spun onto wounds directly by using this dressing gun. Conclusions: PCL fibrous membrane has good biocompatibility and can be in situ electrospun to wound surface as a wound dressing by the portable melt e-spinning gun. Besides wound dressing, this hand-held melt e-spinning gun may be used in 3D printing and experimental teaching demonstration aids.

New Forms of Electrospun Nanofibers Applied in Cardiovascular Field

“…The continuously updated electrospinning technology will certainly promote the development of cardiovascular tissue engineering, such as the melt electrospinning fabricated sinusoidal fibers showing great potential in cardiac tissue regeneration (68,69).…”

Structure and biological compatibility of polycaprolactone/zinc-hydroxyapatite electrospun nanofibers for tissue regeneration

“…PCL is a well-known biocompatible material used in several applications. 40,[61][62][63][64][65] In the same manner, hydroxyapatite is also biocompatible and possesses an additional quality: it is an osteoconductive biomaterial. [66][67][68] The MC3T3 viability test performed in this study confirmed the 11).…”

Preparation and Physicochemical Characterization of a Diclofenac Sodium-Dual Layer Polyvinyl Alcohol Patch

“…The present work is an excellent example of the second approaches. Nanofibers produced by electrospinning exhibit several interesting and unique properties such as a controlled release carrier [20], high surface-to-volume ratio, tunable diameter and pore size, high porosity, surface functionality and morphology similar to the extracellular matrix; the use of electrospun nanofibers have been studied in diverse fields including drug delivery [21], wound dressing [22], filtration [23], cell culture, tissue engineering and many others [24,25]. Polymeric matrices such as PVA provide an excellent source for electrospinning based on their biocompatibility, extraordinary hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties [26,27].…”