Comparison of drying methods in the fabrication of collagen scaffold via indirect rapid prototyping

• Published in: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part B, Applied biomaterials Vol. 82B; no. 1; pp. 260 - 266
• Main Authors: Yeong, Wai-Yee, Chua, Chee-Kai, Leong, Kah-Fai, Chandrasekaran, Margam, Lee, Mun-Wai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.07.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; collagen; Collagen Type I - ultrastructure; Freeze Drying; indirect rapid prototyping; internal channels; Porosity; Preservation, Biological - methods; scaffold; Tissue Engineering
• ISSN: 1552-4973; 1552-4981
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.30729

Porous collagen scaffolds with predefined 3‐dimesional (3‐D) networks of internal channels are fabricated via an indirect rapid prototyping technique. To obtain the scaffolds, two drying methods, namely critical point drying and freeze‐drying were investigated. The latter was found to be a more suitable process as it induced less shrinkage and reproduced the design morphology accurately. The resulting scaffold contained internal hollow channels with porous foam‐like structure occupying the surrounding volume. The mean diameter of the pores was 180 ± 60 μm and the channels diameter obtained was measured as 437 ± 100 μm. The channels were defined and strengthened by a layer of skin due to the process of freeze‐drying. These networks of internal channels serve to enhance the mass transport rate through the scaffold and help to increase the depth of cells penetration in the scaffold. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 2006.