Tip-Viscid Electrohydrodynamic Jet 3D Printing of Composite Osteochondral Scaffold

A novel method called tip-viscid electrohydrodynamic jet printing (TVEJ), which produces a viscous needle tip jet, was presented to fabricate a 3D composite osteochondral scaffold with controllability of fiber size and space to promote cartilage regeneration. The tip-viscid process, by harnessing the combined effects of thermal, flow, and electric fields, was first systematically investigated by simulation analysis. The influences of process parameters on printing modes and resolutions were investigated to quantitatively guide the fabrication of various structures. 3D architectures with high aspect ratio and good interlaminar bonding were printed, thanks to the stable fine jet and its predictable viscosity. 3D composite osteochondral scaffolds with controllability of architectural features were fabricated, facilitating ingrowth of cells, and eventually inducing homogeneous cell proliferation. The scaffold’s properties, which included chemical composition, wettability, and durability, were also investigated. Feasibility of the 3D scaffold for cartilage tissue regeneration was also proven by in vitro cellular activities.

Numerical Study on the Electrohydrodynamic Jet Printing

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is an alternative method to fabricate high-resolution micro- and nanostructures with high efficiency, low cost, and low pollution. Numerical simulation is an effective approach to systematically investigate the formation process of EHD jet. However, there are a few articles performing this work. In this study, a finite element model was established. The jet formation process and jetting modes were analyzed. The influence of applied voltage and printing distance on the maximum electric field near the nozzle tip was investigated. The effect of flow rate on the jet diameters was studied. Comparison between numerical and experimental results demonstrated that the proposed simulation model had a high potential for EHD jet analysis. According to the optimized printing conditions (printing distance of 200–300 μm, applied voltage of ∼1100 V, and flow rate of 0.1–0.3 ml/h), stable EHD jet can generate and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) lines with minimum line-width of 0.9 μm can be printed onto the glass slide.