Characterization of materials for bioprinting pen

• Main Author: Hoo, Anthonia Yue Xuan
• Other Authors: Yeong Wai Yee
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/71918
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

After decades of 3D printing, certain printing processes have been adapted into portable handheld devices known as 3D pen. The use of 3D pen is similar with its counterpart, except that there is no control system and mainly consist of a hand-held version of the extrusion element found in 3D printers. This new-found technology allows freeform fabrication of objects. From using thermoplastic filaments to photopolymerised ink and even biomaterials, the art of freeform fabrication allows the use of different materials as long as the composition of the materials fit the device's operation. Therefore, this study aims to formulate biomaterials that are commonly used in tissue engineering applications and to fabricate them in different forms which can be applicable for extrusion in a hand-held device. This study also aims to carry out material characterization on the biomaterials which can be useful for freehand biofabrication in the future. In this study, biomaterials that are commonly used in tissue engineering applications are characterized and fabricated into three different forms which can be applicable for extrusion in a novel hand-held device. Alginate beads of dimension 1909.067±246.3072 mm were fabricated using drop-based extrusion technique. PCL of 1.62±0.096 mm diameter and 1.24±0.12mm for PCL/PVA filaments were fabricated and characterized for its mechanical properties such as strength and degradation rate. Rheological properties of Pluronic and Alginate were characterized to evaluate on its applicability in an extrusion based hand-held device.