Surface tension-assisted additive manufacturing
Name
s41467-018-03391-w.pdf
Size
2.62 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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Author(s)
Cheng, George Z.
Gangadharan, Sidharta P.
Ragelle, Heloise
Tibbitt, Mark W
Wu, Shang-Yun
Castillo, Michael A.
Anderson, Daniel Griffith
Langer, Robert S
Cima, Michael J.
Date Issued
December 2018
Journal
Nature Communications
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Citation
Ragelle, Héloïse, et al. “Surface Tension-Assisted Additive Manufacturing.” Nature Communications, vol. 9, no. 1, Dec. 2018. © 2018 The Authors
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The proliferation of computer-aided design and additive manufacturing enables on-demand fabrication of complex, three-dimensional structures. However, combining the versatility of cell-laden hydrogels within the 3D printing process remains a challenge. Herein, we describe a facile and versatile method that integrates polymer networks (including hydrogels) with 3D-printed mechanical supports to fabricate multicomponent (bio)materials. The approach exploits surface tension to coat fenestrated surfaces with suspended liquid films that can be transformed into solid films. The operating parameters for the process are determined using a physical model, and complex geometric structures are successfully fabricated. We engineer, by tailoring the window geometry, scaffolds with anisotropic mechanical properties that compress longitudinally (~30% strain) without damaging the hydrogel coating. Finally, the process is amenable to high cell density encapsulation and co-culture. Viability ( > 95%) was maintained 28 days after encapsulation. This general approach can generate biocompatible, macroscale devices with structural integrity and anisotropic mechanical properties.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Materials Science and Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT
Terms of Use
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03391-w
