Recent advances in melt electro writing for tissue engineering for 3D printing of microporous scaffolds for tissue engineering

authored by

Sebastian Loewner, Sebastian Heene, Timo Baroth, Henrik Heymann, Fabian Cholewa, Holger Blume, Cornelia Blume

Abstract

Melt electro writing (MEW) is a high-resolution 3D printing technique that combines elements of electro-hydrodynamic fiber attraction and melts extrusion. The ability to precisely deposit micro- to nanometer strands of biocompatible polymers in a layer-by-layer fashion makes MEW a promising scaffold fabrication method for all kinds of tissue engineering applications. This review describes possibilities to optimize multi-parametric MEW processes for precise fiber deposition over multiple layers and prevent printing defects. Printing protocols for nonlinear scaffolds structures, concrete MEW scaffold pore geometries and printable biocompatible materials for MEW are introduced. The review discusses approaches to combining MEW with other fabrication techniques with the purpose to generate advanced scaffolds structures. The outlined MEW printer modifications enable customizable collector shapes or sacrificial materials for non-planar fiber deposition and nozzle adjustments allow redesigned fiber properties for specific applications. Altogether, MEW opens a new chapter of scaffold design by 3D printing.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Technical Chemistry
Institute of Microelectronic Systems

Type

Review article

Journal

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

Volume

10

ISSN

2296-4185

Publication date

17.08.2022

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Histology, Biomedical Engineering

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.896719 (Access: Open)