Development of 3D Printed Porous Biomaterials

Abstract

Porous biomaterials play an important role in healthcare applications due to their ability to reduce foreign body reactions (FBR). This study investigates the effects of scaffolds with 40 µm spherical pores (6S scaffolds) and 40 µm cubical pores on FBR mitigation. Using stereolithography (SLA), cubical pore scaffolds were fabricated, with a stabilization protocol developed to address internal and surface contamination during the fabrication process. This protocol enhanced print resolution and consistency, allowing for the successful production of scaffolds with intricate geometries and non-linear edges. In vivo evaluations indicated that 40 µm cubical pore scaffolds supported tissue regeneration and vascularization while reducing fibrous capsule formation and collagen deposition, comparable to the performance of 6S scaffolds. These findings suggest that 3D-printed 40 µm cubical pores hold the potential for FBR reduction. Additionally, new PEGDMA-based resin formulations for SLA were explored, achieving resolutions of approximately 20 µm. This study presents an SLA-based methodology for producing porous biomaterials with applications in FBR mitigation and tissue engineering, demonstrating the advantage of 3D printing in biomedical applications.