3D microtomographic characterization of precision extruded poly-epsilon-caprolactone scaffolds

One of the dominant approaches to tissue engineering is the seeding of biodegradable, biocompatible polymer scaffolds with progenitor cells prior to 3D culture or implantation. The microarchitecture of these scaffolds has direct effects upon the ability of cells to attach, migrate, and differentiate. Microtomographic (micro-CT) scanners enable high-speed 3D characterization of the salient features of these polymer scaffolds. A micro-CT scan followed by 3D reconstruction of serial image sections can determine porosity, pore size, pore interconnectivity, strut size, and overall 3D microarchitecture. In this study, four polymer samples with different microarchitectures were manufactured through precision extrusion deposition free-form fabrication and subsequently characterized through micro-CT analysis. A desktop micro-CT scanner was used to examine each sample at approximately 19.1-micron resolution. 2D analyses and 3D reconstructions of core regions of each sample were performed. These results illustrate that qualitative and quantitative analysis of polymer scaffolds is possible using micro-CT and 3D reconstruction techniques.