Patterned melt electrospun substrates for tissue engineering

Tissue engineering scaffolds can be built with patterning techniques that allow discrete placement of structures. In this study, electrospun fibres are collected in focused spots; the patterning and drawing of a cell adhesive scaffold is shown. Blends of biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) and PCL were melt electrospun onto glass collectors, and the optimal electrospinning parameters determined. The quality of the fibre was largely influenced by the flow rate of the melt to the spinneret; however, this can be adjusted with the voltage. A collection distance between 3 cm and 5 cm was optimal, and at 10 cm the fibres became unfocused in their deposition although the diameter remained similar (0.96 +/- 0.19 mu m). Aligned lines of electrospun fibres 200-400 mu m in width could be applied onto the slide with an x-y stage, continuously and discretely. Lines of electrospun fibres could be applied on top of one another and were very uniform in diameter. Fibroblasts adhered primarily in the fibre region, due to the poor cell adhesion to the PEG substrate. Improvements in depositing hydrophilic electrospun fibres that wet and adhere to in vitro substrates and the use of stage automation for the writing interface could provide scaffold-building devices suitable for tissue engineering applications.