Permeability evaluation of lay-down patterns and pore size of PCL scaffolds

The success of tissue engineering is strongly dependent on the ability to produce biomimetic scaffolds that mimic the biomechanical properties of the native host tissues. Additive Manufacturing techniques, namely Biomanufacturing are increasingly being recognized as the ideal methods to produce 3D porous structures. These systems produce scaffolds with an effective control over pore size/shape and spatial distribution. The BioExtruder system is one of the existing additive biomanufacturing systems for tissue engineering applications. The working principle is based on the extrusion of thin filaments of low melting point biomaterials in a layer-by-layer fashion. There are several process and geometric parameters controlled by the BioExtruder system with a direct influence on the morphological and mechanical properties of the extruded scaffolds. This research work is focused on the geometric parameters, namely the pore architecture (lay-down pattern of the filaments) and the pore size regarding the scaffold's permeability. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.