Speaker
Description
Hydrogels are ubiquitously used in a wide variety of applications in tissue engineering. Traditional processes like casting are time and cost intensive and as an alternative, 3D printing is agile, versatile, and cost-effective. Recent developments in 3D printing have created opportunities for scalable production of measurement platforms for engineered contractile tissue studies.
Such measurement platforms use micron size hydrogel structures that are 3D printed using UV stereolithography and the engineering lies in tuning their mechanical properties to achieve a right match with the contraction of the engineered tissue.
This experimental work presents a set of initial results from the feasibility studies to reveal the key considerations such as hydrogel composition, printing parameters, environmental conditions, and mechanical properties required for successful 3D printing of poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels. During the in-situ experiments, their swelling behaviour were monitored, and their swelling ratios were measured at fixed intervals while varying PEGDA concentration, photoabsorber concentration, UV dosage, pH level, ionic strength, temperature, and daylight exposure.
Macroscale stiffness measurements were conducted using uniaxial compression testing equipment and values for elastic modulus were extracted at different intervals.
The novelty in the work is that it probes an investigation into the aging of hydrogel and environmental response of the ingredients, the mixed solution and manufactured 3D printed PEGDA hydrogel which are important in achieving longevity of engineered contractile tissues. The findings will pave way in developing newer mechanistic models to study viscoelastic material response in wet conditions which will create new digital twins for predictive process standardisation, quality control and troubleshooting in the fabrication of 3D printed hydrogel structures for engineered contractile tissue studies.
| Speaker Country | United Kingdom |
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