Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Engineering Science
Program
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Supervisor
Dr. Kibret Mequanint
Abstract
Tissue engineering scaffolds act as a structural template for seeded cells and play a significant role in dictating the performance of the final tissue construct. Scaffold properties are governed by the fabrication method and must be tailored to meet the intended application. In this work, 3D poly(carbonate) urethane (PCU) scaffolds were fabricated by solvent casting/particulate leaching (SCPL) and electrospinning. For SCPL, three different types of porogens, namely, alginate beads, D-fructose particles, and gelatin spheres were used. The effects of porogen type and fabrication method on scaffold morphological characteristics were examined. Highly porous scaffolds with uniform pore morphology were fabricated using all three porogen types, and fibrous scaffolds having an average fiber diameter of -200 nm were fabricated by electrospinning. Preliminary cell culture studies carried out with vascular smooth muscle cells indicated that electrospun scaffolds and scaffolds fabricated by SCPL using alginate beads and D-fructose were not cytotoxic and provided a favorable environment for cell growth.
Recommended Citation
Rogers, Lisa, "COMPARATIVE STUDY OF 3D TISSUE ENGINEERING SCAFFOLD FABRICATION METHODS" (2011). Digitized Theses. 3289.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3289