Instant in-situ Tissue Repair by Biodegradable PLA/Gelatin Nanofibrous Membrane Using a 3D Printed Handheld...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Developing advanced wound healing technologies is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Current methods for skin defect repair often face challenges in efficiency and biocompatibility.
• 3D printing offers a versatile platform for creating customized medical devices and scaffolds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a 3D printed handheld electrospinning device.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the device in producing polylactic acid (PLA)/gelatin nanofiber scaffolds.
• To assess the performance of these scaffolds in promoting rapid skin wound repair in mice.

Main Methods:

• A handheld electrospinning device was designed using Solidworks and 3D printed.
• Polylactic acid (PLA)/gelatin blend was used to fabricate in situ degradable nanofiber scaffolds.
• Scaffold properties were analyzed using SEM, FTIR, XRD, and water vapor permeability tests; cytotoxicity and in vivo wound healing in Balb/c mice were assessed.

Main Results:

• The 3D printed device successfully fabricated PLA/gelatin nanofibrous membranes with uniform nanofibers.
• The scaffolds exhibited good biocompatibility, as confirmed by cytotoxicity tests.
• In vivo experiments demonstrated complete skin repair in mice treated with the fabricated scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D printed handheld electrospinning device is effective for in situ fabrication of nanofiber scaffolds.
• These scaffolds facilitate rapid and complete repair of full-thickness skin defects in mice.
• This technology holds potential for advancing wound healing and regenerative medicine applications.