Layered manufacturing of tissue engineering scaffolds via multi-nozzle deposition

The fabrication technology of Multi-nozzle Deposition Manufacturing (MDM) was proposed to fabricate porous tissue engineering scaffolds. This digital forming technology was developed based on the layer-by-layer manufacturing principle of Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF). A four-nozzle MDM system was designed to carry out MDM processes. Bone tissue engineering scaffolds with different properties were fabricated by single-nozzle deposition process, bi-nozzle deposition process and tri-nozzle deposition process, respectively, in the MDM system. The bone scaffolds made by the single-nozzle deposition process in the MDM system have good biocompatibility and bone conductive property as a molecular scaffold for bone morphogenic protein (BNIP) in the implantation experiment of repairing segment defect of rabbit radius. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.