Abstract

Modelling and Additive Manufacturing of Scaffolds and Implants from Biopolymers as a Precision Medicine approach

Ronny Brünler, Engineer, Technische Universität Dresden

The presentation will contain a description of an Additive Manufacturing approach that combines biopolymers in different morphologies to generate patient-adapted scaffolds and implants for defects that go beyond tissue interfaces and affect multiple body tissues. Large-scale defects and injuries as a result of accidents or tumour resections often affect more than one sole type of body tissue. Thus, implants for the regeneration of complex defects require grading on the material and structural level. Textile Technology allows manufacturing load-adapted, bionically-inspired scaffolds providing interconnected pores and large functional surfaces [1]. The flexible Net-Shape-Nonwoven process [2] is a modular short-fibre-based additive manufacturing technology that is capable of processing multiple biomaterial-fibres into patient-adapted geometries with a model-based pore-size grading. In addition to that, pasty materials and hydrogels from biomaterials can be plotted in the process. The combination of the differing morphologies opens new paths in the treatment of complex injuries that go beyond tissue interfaces and affect multiple body tissues. The print heads are optimized for multiple biomaterials such as silk-fibroin, chitosan, alginate or calcium phosphates. The investigated structures show an advantageous cell response and thus open new fields of application for in-situ Tissue Engineering and precision medicine.