Numerical model for predicting mechanical properties of cell encapsulated hydrogel scaffolds

Paper presented at the 2006 IEEE 32nd Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, Easton, PA.Precision Extruding Deposition (PED) process was used to directly fabricate Polycaprolactone (PCL) and PCL/ Hydroxyapatite (HA) composite tissue scaffolds. HA powder was melt blended with PCL, a biodegradable polymer. Scaffolds with controlled pore size porosity were fabricated. The scaffold morphology and the mechanical properties were evaluated using SEM and mechanical testing. In vivo biological studies were conducted to investigate the cellular responses of the PCL scaffolds. Results and characterizations demonstrate the viability of the PED process as well as the good mechanical property, structural integrity, controlled pore size, pore interconnectivity, and the biological compatibility of the fabricated scaffolds