Indirect Scaffold Fabrication via Biomimetic Mineralization

Project Description

In this work, biocompatible bone scaffolds are created via an indirect fabrication process. Specifically, Fused Depositon Modeling (FDM) is used to create a polymer pattern.  This pattern is then biomimetically mineralized with an aqueous simulated body fluid, which forms a bone-like hydroxyapatite throughout the scaffold pattern.  Mineralized patters are then heat treated to pyrolyze the pattern and sinter the minerals.  With this process, scaffolds were created with wall thicknesses as small as 150 microns and internal channel diameters of 280-340 microns, an appropriate range for bone tissue engineering.