Microsyringe based fabrication of high resolution organic structures for bioengineering applications

Two techniques for controlled deposition of complex architectures are described here. They employ a highly accurate 3D micropositioning system with pressure controlled or volume controlled syringe to deposit nano-liter sized drops of materials. One of the techniques has been used to realise scaffolds for tissue engineering, and the other for fabrication of polymeric actuators. The system has been characterised in terms of deposition parameters such as applied pressure, line width and height and polymer viscosity, and a fluid dynamic model simulating the deposition process has been developed, allowing an accurate prediction of the topological characteristics of the polymer structures.