Investigation of 3D non-random porous structures by fused deposition modelling

The development of 3D non-random porous structures for biomedical applications has been of interest for many years. Processing of these 3D non-random porous structures using the fused deposition modelling (FDM) process is presented in this paper. The FDM built structures were evaluated to determine their suitability for use in the area of tissue engineering. The influence of process parameters on the porosity, pore diameter and compressive strength of the porous structures was investigated. The FDM process was found to be able to provide good control and reproducibility of the desired degree of porosity and 3D microstructure. This technology also offers flexibility and ease of varying the microstructure to meet specific structural and functional requirements for tissue engineering.