Diffusion Packing: The mechanism behind embedded 3D printing of dilute cell and particle suspensions into dense tissue structures

Description

Embedded 3D printing enabled an unprecedented degree of control over the print design and materials that can be used as inks. In order to fabricate functional microtissues, a high cell density is usually required. However, the maximum cell concentration that can be incorporated in a hydrogel ink before the ink's rheological properties are compromised, is significantly lower than the concentration in a tissue equivalent. Extruding dense cell suspensions, generally results in high shear stresses on the cells and a poor shape fidelity of the print. In this work we report the previously unstudied mechanism of diffusion packing, that occurs when dilute particle suspensions in Newtonian fluids are printed within shear thinning embedding baths, resulting in complex, dense tissue structures.

Period	29 Mar 2023
Event title	TERMIS EU Chapter Conference 2023
Event type	Conference
Location	Manchester, United KingdomShow on map