Performance-Driven
Scaffold Fabrication
Equipment
Biomedical Engineering
SwRI can collaborate to design specific microfabrication equipment, which incorporates live cells and structural, biological, and material properties into a 3D scaffold design.
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Demonstration of SwRI
equipment printing a hydroxyapetite/CaP tissue scaffold in a voroni diagram pattern.
The performance-driven scaffold fabrication technology was developed primarily for bone applications but can be applied to other tissue growth areas. As a research tool, the user can control the scaffold details to conduct a detailed performance study. The desired pore geometry, material properties, and the structural requirements for the cell and tissue application are the inputs to a structure optimization algorithm to predict a preferred scaffold structural element that is then propagated to fill a user-defined scaffold shape. The desired 3D scaffold is then printed using our custom scaffold extrusion equipment. The result is performance-driven scaffolds with precisely controlled and highly reproducible architectures, which are necessary for systematic experiments.
Related Terminology
biomechanics • biomedical engineering • biomedical technology • medical device • biotechnology • cardiac biodynamics • hemodynamics • joint articulation • joint lubrication • mechanical modeling • micromechanical behavior • orthopedic implants • spinal fusion, spine • spinal implant • vertebral body replacement • VBR • spinal cages • facet replacement • pedicle screws • medical device design • medical device development
