Fabrication of synthesized PCL‐PEG‐PCL tissue engineering scaffolds using an air pressure‐aided deposition system

Purpose – Bone tissue engineering is an emerging field providing viable substitutes for bone regeneration. Poly(e‐caprolactone) (PCL) is a good candidate for scaffold fabrication due to its high mechanical strength and excellent resistance under moist conditions, but its hydrophobicity causes cell‐attached difficulties, thus limiting its clinical application. The paper aims to develop an air pressure‐aided deposition system for fabricating scaffolds made of synthesized PCL‐PEG‐PCL copolymers and to validate the biocompatibility and hydrophilicity improvement of fabricated scaffolds.Design/methodology/approach – An air pressure‐aided deposition system that involves rapid prototyping technique has been developed to fabricate scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) application. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), a hydrophilic non‐ionic polymer, is adopted to reduce the hydrophobicity of PCL alone. The synthesis process of PCL‐PEG‐PCL copolymer is briefly introduced. Effect of viscosity in regard to scanning speed on...

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