Additive manufacturing (AM), or more commonly 3D printing, has a growing presence in the area of tissue engineering scaffold architectures for the ability to precisely control geometry and pore size. Of particular interest is the fabrication of lattices with gradient porosity, an area that is largely restricted to a small subset of mathematically derived structures. Continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) is an AM method that, through the utilization of an O<sub>2</sub> permeable window, allows for undisrupted photo-polymerization and consequently, the continuous fabrication of structures. Herein, we demonstrate CLIP’s ability to fabricate geometrically complex lattices with tunable physical properties as a function of design, formulation, and fabrication speed. Physical properties of interest include pore size, mechanical properties and release rates of loaded materials. Furthermore, we demonstrate through the application of a linear speed ramp, the fabrication of novel gradient structures that cannot be generated using conventional methods, such as computer-aided design. These structures can enable the continued development of the field of tissue engineering by expanding the sphere of geometries that can be fabricated.

Fabrication of geometrically complex micro-lattices with Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) for biological applications

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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