Injury Scanning and Scaffold Design
Patient injury data is scanned using clinical CT, MRI, 3D laser scanning or 3D reconstruction from photographs. Our software uses this data to design the shape of the tissue construct to match the specific needs of the patient. The software also provides a very high degree of control over the fabrication process.
3D Biofabrication Using Melt Electrospinning Writing
Our proprietary biofabrication technology is designed to rapidly fabricate morphologically accurate tissue engineering scaffolds. Using very high electric fields, we construct complex shapes out of biocompatible polymer fibres that are much thinner than a human hair. The implanted scaffolds completely dissolve as the tissue grows through, leaving the patient’s own restored tissue.
Scaffold and Tissue Analysis Technology
We have developed advanced tissue analysis techniques such as magnetic resonance micro-imaging techniques to non-invasively investigate the evolution of the nutrient and oxygen pathways deep within the tissue laden scaffolds. This helps us develop predictive models to produce scaffolds with complex architectures and integrated micro-channels for successful cell growth.
Chief Investigators
Publications
- Pang, Le, Paxton, Naomi, Ren, Jiongyu, Liu, Fan, Zhan, Haifei, Woodruff, Maria, Bo, Arixin, Gu, YuanTong (2020) Development of mechanically enhanced polycaprolactone composites by a functionalized titanate nanofiller for melt electrowriting in 3D printing. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 12 (42), pp.47993-48006.
- Paxton, Naomi, Daley, Ryan, Forrestal, David, Allenby, Mark, Woodruff, Maria (2020) Auxetic tubular scaffolds via melt electrowriting. Materials and Design, 193, pp.Article number: 108787.
- Paxton, Naomi C., Lanaro, Matthew, Bo, Arixin, Crooks, Nathan, Ross, Maureen T., Green, Nicholas, Tetsworth, Kevin, Allenby, Mark C., Gu, YuanTong, Wong, Cynthia S., et al. (2020) Design tools for patient specific and highly controlled melt electrowritten scaffolds. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 105, pp.Article number: 103695 1-8.
- Paxton, Naomi, Ren, Edward, Ainsworth, Madison, Solanki, Anu, Jones, Julian, Allenby, Mark, Stevens, Molly, Woodruff, Mia (2019) Rheological characterization of biomaterials directs additive manufacturing of strontium-substituted bioactive glass/Polycaprolactone microfibers. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 40 (11), pp.Article number: 1900019 1-6.
- Liao, Sam, Theodoropoulos, Christina, Blackwood, Keith, Woodruff, Mia, Gregory, Shaun (2018) Melt electrospun bilayered scaffolds for tissue integration of a suture-less inflow cannula for rotary blood pumps. Artificial Organs, 42 (5), pp.43-54.
- Lanaro, Matthew, Booth, Larnii, Powell, Sean, Woodruff, Mia (2018) Electrofluidodynamic technologies for biomaterials and medical devices: melt electrospinning. In Guarino, V, Ambrosio, L (Eds.), Electrofluidodynamic technologies (EFDTs) for biomaterials and medical devices (1st Edition): Principles and advances (Woodhead Publishing Series in Biomaterials), pp.37-69.
- Liao, Sam, Langfield, Brendan, Ristovski, Nikola, Theodoropoulos, Christina, Hardt, Jake, Blackwood, Keith, Yambem, Soniya, Gregory, Shaun, Woodruff, Mia, Powell, Sean (2016) Effect of humidity on melt electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds. BioNanoMaterials, 17 (3 - 4), pp.173-178.
- Ristovski, Nikola, Bock, Nathalie, Liao, Sam, Powell, Sean, Ren, Jiongyu Edward, Kirby, Giles, Blackwood, Keith, Woodruff, Mia (2015) Improved fabrication of melt electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds using direct writing and advanced electric field control. Biointerphases, 10 (1), pp.Article number: 011006 1-10.
- Powell, Sean, Ristovski, Nikola, Liao, Sam, Blackwood, Keith, Woodruff, Mia, Momot, Konstantin (2014) Characterisation of the micro-architecture of direct writing melt electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds using diffusion tensor and computed tomography microimaging. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, 1 (2), pp.95-103.
