3D Bioprinting of Scaffold Structure Using Micro-Extrusion Technology

Abstract

Scaffold-based techniques are a vital assistance tool to support main structure and enhance the resolution of target structure. In this study, a custom-made micro-extrusion bioprinting system was built and utilized to fabricate different scaffold structures such as log-pile scaffold and two-ring scaffold. This approach showed tremendous potential because of its ability to produce microscale channels with almost any shape. We were able to fabricate these scaffolds by using a custom-made 3D bioprinter to print hydrogel solution, mostly composed of Pluronic F-127, then wash away hydrogen by phosphate buffer saline (PBS) after crosslinking of main structure. We were able to achieve the desired scaffold structure by feeding G-codes data into user interface (Pronterface) and then translating that model into a program that utilizes a customized programming language, which instructs the microfabrication printer nozzles to dispense the hydrogel at specific locations. This fundamental study will be used to print increasingly viable and complex tissue shapes with living cells.