Multi-Printhead Parallel Printing of Polycaprolactone Barrier/Filler-Integrated Scaffolds for Alveolar Bone Repair

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Current guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedures involve manual assembly, leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies.
• Limitations include reduced shape fidelity, graft material displacement, and decreased operational efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multi-printhead parallel printing strategy for fabricating barrier/filler-integrated GBR scaffolds.
• To enhance manufacturing efficiency and clinical applicability for alveolar bone repair.

Main Methods:

• Upgraded a conventional melt extrusion printer with a parallelized 10-printhead module.
• Implemented cooling convection and temperature compensation to address thermal crosstalk.
• Fabricated thin-wall membrane structures and triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) porous structures simultaneously.

Main Results:

• Achieved simultaneous printing of 10 membrane structures with consistent geometry and strong interlayer bonding.
• Demonstrated substantially enhanced manufacturing efficiency.
• In vivo studies showed parallel-printed scaffolds prevented soft tissue invasion and promoted robust bone regeneration, outperforming existing GBR strategies.

Conclusions:

• The multi-printhead parallel printing technique offers a scalable and efficient method for producing integrated GBR scaffolds.
• This approach improves upon conventional GBR procedures, showing promise for mass production of clinical polymeric implants.
• The fabricated scaffolds effectively support alveolar bone repair.