Systematic design of an advanced open-source 3D bioprinter for extrusion and electrohydrodynamic-based processes

Lanaro, Matthew; Luu, Amelia; Lightbody-Gee, Archibald; Hedger, David; Powell, Sean K.; Holmes, David W.; Woodruff, Maria A.

doi:10.1007/s00170-021-06634-1

Cited by 19 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Electrospinning is a manufacturing technique that has gained increasing interest for fabricating pelvic meshes due to its ability to create microstructures mimicking the extracellular matrix, which has been shown to enhance tissue integration [24,26]. This present study fabricated the meshes using melt-electrowriting (MEW), a technique similar to electrospinning with the exception that MEW enables the meshes to be produced with a high degree of control and precision and does not include toxic solvents [34]. Additionally, the fibre thickness, porosity and scaffold height can be customised to produce scaffolds with optimal properties for pelvic meshes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of 3D Printed Biodegradable Mesh with Antimicrobial Properties for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To address the increasing demand for safe and effective treatment options for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) due to the worldwide ban of the traditional polypropylene meshes, this study introduced degradable polycaprolactone (PCL)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite meshes fabricated with melt-electrowriting (MEW). Two PCL/PEG mesh groups: 90:10 and 75:25 (PCL:PEG, wt%) were fabricated and characterized for their degradation rate and mechanical properties, with PCL meshes used as a control. The PCL/PEG composites showed controllable degradation rates by adjusting the PEG content and produced mechanical properties, such as maximal forces, that were higher than PCL alone. The antibacterial properties of the meshes were elicited by coating them with a commonly used antibiotic: azithromycin. Two dosage levels were used for the coating: 0.5 mg and 1 mg per mesh, and both dosage levels were found to be effective in suppressing the growth of S. aureus bacteria. The biocompatibility of the meshes was assessed using human immortalized adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). In vitro assays were used to assess the cell viability (LIVE/DEAD assay), cell metabolic activity (alamarBlue assay) and cell morphology on the meshes (confocal and electron microscopy). The cell attachment was found to decrease with increased PEG content. The freshly drug-coated meshes showed signs of cytotoxicity during the cell study process. However, when pre-released for 14 days in phosphate buffered saline, the initial delay in cell attachment on the drug-coated mesh groups showed full recovery at the 14-day cell culture time point. These results indicated that the PCL/PEG meshes with antibiotics coating will be an effective anti-infectious device when first implanted into the patients, and, after about 2 weeks of drug release, the mesh will be supporting cell attachment and proliferation. These meshes demonstrated a potential effective treatment option for POP that may circumvent the issues related to the traditional polypropylene meshes.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of 3D Printed Biodegradable Mesh with Antimicrobial Properties for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Calcium phosphate cement CPC (Plotter Paste-CPC, INNOTERE GmbH, Radebeul, Germany) and polycaprolactone PCL Purasorb ® PC12 (Corbion Purac, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; CAS 24980-41-4) with a molecular weight of 80 kDa [ 38 ] were used for scaffold fabrication. CPC and CPC+PCL scaffolds were generated in a one-step process with an interchangeable pattern using the open-source Biofabricator , a customized, multi-purpose AM device developed and housed at the Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and BioScaffolder 3.1 (GeSiM, Radeberg, Germany) [ 39 ]. Melt electrowriting (MEW) uses molten thermoplastics to process them with high voltage into micrometer-thin fibers that can be precisely deposited.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

3D Plotting of Calcium Phosphate Cement and Melt Electrowriting of Polycaprolactone Microfibers in One Scaffold: A Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Process

Kilian

Witzleben

Lanaro

et al. 2022

JFB

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The fabrication of patient-specific scaffolds for bone substitutes is possible through extrusion-based 3D printing of calcium phosphate cements (CPC) which allows the generation of structures with a high degree of customization and interconnected porosity. Given the brittleness of this clinically approved material, the stability of open-porous scaffolds cannot always be secured. Herein, a multi-technological approach allowed the simultaneous combination of CPC printing with melt electrowriting (MEW) of polycaprolactone (PCL) microfibers in an alternating, tunable design in one automated fabrication process. The hybrid CPC+PCL scaffolds with varying CPC strand distance (800–2000 µm) and integrated PCL fibers featured a strong CPC to PCL interface. While no adverse effect on mechanical stiffness was detected by the PCL-supported scaffold design; the microfiber integration led to an improved integrity. The pore distance between CPC strands was gradually increased to identify at which critical CPC porosity the microfibers would have a significant impact on pore bridging behavior and growth of seeded cells. At a CPC strand distance of 1600 µm, after 2 weeks of cultivation, the incorporation of PCL fibers led to pore coverage by a human mesenchymal stem cell line and an elevated proliferation level of murine pre-osteoblasts. The integrated fabrication approach allows versatile design adjustments on different levels.

show abstract

“…As they are built on frames already designed for other purposes, the configuration and many of the components are either over‐engineered or not favorable for MEW. There have been some publications that describe the self‐building MEW printers, [ 56 ] notably with one high‐end research line system described in 2022. [ 4 ] Designed by expert operators for other MEW users to build, it includes features not available in the expensive and commercial options.…”

Section: Modern Visualization and Manipulation Of The Mew Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Decade of Melt Electrowriting

O'Neill

Dalton

2023

Small Methods

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Over the past decade, melt electrowriting (MEW) has established the fundamental understanding of processing (and printer) requirements. Iterative work on parametric development and dissemination of this recent additive manufacturing technology has been performed across many systems and polymers (mainly poly-(𝝐-caprolactone)), showing similarities and trends. However, the software and hardware ecosystems of MEW are not mature. Further, due to its multi-parametric nature, MEW can be challenging for laboratories to master. This review intends to provide a unique perspective on the dynamic relationship between MEW processing parameters. Such parameters can be divided into 1) those that affect the polymer flow rate to or 2) from the nozzle, and 3) environmental conditions. The most influential parameters for high-quality printing are applied voltage, applied pressure, collector speed, polymer temperature, nozzle diameter, and the conditions that lead to charge buildup (e.g., relative humidity). Other factors such as ambient temperature, nozzle size, and protrusion, collector temperature and conductivity, and collector distance can all affect the process. Success for MEW printing means fibers fall onto the collector according to their pre-programmed path with predicted fiber diameter. Here, the authors elucidate how the dynamic relationship between these parameters can converge into ideal printing conditions to produce scaffolds.

show abstract

Systematic design of an advanced open-source 3D bioprinter for extrusion and electrohydrodynamic-based processes

Cited by 19 publications

References 56 publications

Development of 3D Printed Biodegradable Mesh with Antimicrobial Properties for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Development of 3D Printed Biodegradable Mesh with Antimicrobial Properties for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

3D Plotting of Calcium Phosphate Cement and Melt Electrowriting of Polycaprolactone Microfibers in One Scaffold: A Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Process

A Decade of Melt Electrowriting

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About