scafSLICR

scafSLICR designs heterogeneous porous 3D-printed scaffolds with controlled microarchitecture for tissue engineering applications.

Key Features:

• Precise Microarchitecture Control: Specifies pore size, porosity, and filament arrangement to control scaffold microarchitecture.
• Spatially Patterned Pore Properties: Encodes spatial gradients and patterned pore properties across scaffold volumes for heterogeneous designs.
• Maintained Network Connectivity: Preserves open, connected pore networks across transitions while maintaining structural continuity.
• MATLAB-Based Algorithm and GCODE Output: Implements a MATLAB algorithm and exports GCODE files for 3D printing.
• Integration into Large Anatomical Shapes: Maps patterned porous designs into large anatomic geometries for patient-specific constructs.
• Versatility in Material Use (ABS): Demonstrated with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and applicable to various 3D-printing materials.

Scientific Applications:

• Craniofacial Bone Scaffold Fabrication: Applied to fabrication of craniofacial bone scaffolds with spatially varied porosity.
• Patient-Specific Construct Design: Enables creation of patient-specific anatomical scaffolds integrating heterogeneous pore architectures.
• Guiding Cell Behavior via Microarchitecture: Produces microarchitectural cues (pore size and porosity patterns) to influence cell behavior.

Methodology:

Designs are generated in MATLAB and exported as GCODE files encoding pore size, porosity, and arrangement for 3D printing.