Layered manufacturing utilizing foam as a support and multifunctional material for the creation of parts and for tissue engineering

• US 9,168,328 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drexel University
• Original Assignee: Drexel University
• Inventors: Sun, Wei, Nam, Jae Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): SELLMAN, CACHET I
• Application Number:
  US11/816,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20080145639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,532 Days
• Field of Search: 427/2.1, 427/2.24, 427/2.25, 428/304.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/146 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7532 Artificial members, protheses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]

Abstract

A solid freeform fabrication method of creating a three-dimensional article built at least in part from scaffolding layers, the method includes providing a scaffolding material, providing a supporting material in a shape of a foamy layer, and contacting the scaffolding material with the foamy layer to form at least one scaffolding layer and thereby creating the three dimensional article.

Claims

1. A solid freeform fabrication method of creating a three-dimensional article built at least in part from scaffolding layers, the method comprising:

providing a scaffolding material;

providing a supporting material in a shape of a foamy layer; and

contacting the scaffolding material with the foamy layer to form at least one scaffolding layer and thereby creating the three dimensional article.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scaffolding material is deposited on a top outer surface of the foamy layer, inside the foamy layer or both.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the supporting material comprises a foaming agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the supporting material comprises a foaming agent and a crosslinking agent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the foaming agent is a member selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, hydrolyzed protein and fluorocarbon surfactants.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the crosslinking agent is a member selected from the group consisting of calcium chloride, barium chloride, thrombin, sodium hydroxide and glutaraldehyde.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scaffolding material is a member selected from the group consisting of alginate, chitosan, collagen, fibrin, salts and derivatives thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the supporting material further comprises a biologically active agent.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the biologically active agent is a member selected from the group consisting of cells, nucleic acids, proteins, and pharmacologically active agents.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the supporting material further comprises at least one of a surface modifier or a sterilizing agent.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing the supporting material simultaneously with the scaffolding material such that the supporting material is retained within the three dimensional article.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the supporting material comprises a foaming agent, a crosslinking agent and optionally a biologically active agent.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the supporting material further comprises at least one of a surface modifier or a sterilizing agent.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the foamy layer acts as a cooling media for the scaffolding material.