Patent ID: 11931951
Assignee: NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  A | IPC A  B

Claim 0:
1. A method for making a 3D scaffold, comprises:
directly and sequentially printing a photocurable matrix material and a photocurable sacrificial material in a single step by a dual extrusion based printing;
fabricating a vascularized scaffold; and
wherein the photocurable matrix material and sacrificial material is not a shear thinning material, and the sequential printing of the sacrificial material is within the matrix material; forming an embedded channels having a diameter either same or varied within a range of about 100 μm-500 μm; and performing the following steps:
(i) dual printing the uncured matrix material up to a specific thickness for forming a printed layer for the printing of the photocurable polymer matrix material layer;
(ii) exposing the matrix material to a light source after each of the printed layer, and partially crosslinking the uncured matrix material layer to form a partial crosslinking layer to allow self-supporting of the matrix material;
(iii) printing a second uncured matrix material layer on top of the partial crosslinking layer;
(iv) printing the sacrificial layer with a sacrificial material within the second uncured matrix material layer;
(v) exposing the partial crosslinking layer and the second uncured matrix material layer to the light source after printing of the sacrificial material inside the second uncured matrix material layer;
(vi) printing a new layer of uncured matrix material on top of the second uncured matrix material layer that is now cured;
repeating above (i) through (vi) steps to create a vascular scaffold in a desired thickness;
exposing the scaffold to the light source to fully crosslink the scaffold after printing and the desired thickness is achieved; and
immersing the scaffold into an aqueous solution to remove the sacrificial material for the formation of the plurality of embedded channels.