Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
25.3 Three-Dimensional Printing
25.3.1
Scaffold-Manufacturing Process
Three-dimensional printing (3DP) utilizes a similar technology
as an inkjet printer to create 3D scaffolds (Fig. 25.2). In order to
develop a scaffold via 3DP, a computer-aided drawing (CAD) rep-
resentation of the scaffold is inputted. An inkjet printer head then
travels over a thin powder bed of the material forming the scaf-
fold. As the inkjet printer head moves over the powder layer, it
deposits a binding solution that fuses the powder in the shape dic-
tated by the CAD. After a layer is completed, the powder bed is low-
ered a layer from the printer head, either through the lowering of
the building platform or through the raising of the printer head.
Another layer of powder is then deposited on the building plat-
form, and the printer head deposits more binding solution to con-
tinue to form the scaffold. This process is repeated until the entire
3Dstructureiscompleted.
15
,
20
,
21
,
32
,
44
,
45
Theunreactedpowderthen
must be removed either by brushing or blowing. Removal of the
unreacted polymer can be problematic in highly porous scaffolds
as polymer powder becomes trapped in the pores. Despite this
many researchers utilize 3DP to create tissue engineering scaffolds
Figure 25.2.
A schematic of the 3DP process.
1
,
20
The printer adds a bind-
ing solution in the x and y directions to form the scaffold. The building plat-
form is lowered by a layer thickness, and the powder roller adds additional
powder to achieve three dimensionality.
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