Examining the crystallisation during additive biomanufacturing

A research group from the University of Manchester has used wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) in one of the first studies to investigate the evolution of crystallinity and crystal orientation in polycaprolactone (PCL) during 3D printing. 

The team has developed a new extrusion-based printing machine, the Plasma-assisted Bioextrusion System (PABS). Extrusion-based techniques are widely used due to their versatility and simplicity, and their ability to print a range of materials in a cell-friendly environment, with high precision. PABS uses a novel approach for biomanufacturing and tissue engineering, combining screw-assisted extrusion, pressure-assisted extrusion and plasma jetting.

Additive biomanufacturing is one of a number of techniques used for regenerative medicine, which aims to repair, regenerate or replace damaged cells, tissues and organs. Tissue engineering often uses a scaffold-based approach, in which a 3D, biocompatible, biodegradable and porous structure provides a substrate for cell growth.