高粘度せん断薄化ヒドロゲルバイオインクにおけるマイクロドロップレット形成のメカニズム解明

High-resolution biofabrication requires precise microscale deposition, yet drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet bioprinting is constrained by a narrow printable viscosity window. Many biocompatible hydrogel precursors display high zero-shear viscosity and strong shear-thinning, so stable droplet ejection typically requires dilution or reformulation that can compromise the biochemical microenvironment. We present a transient shear-enabled jetting method that exploits intrinsic shear-thinning by using a high-frequency electromagnetic microvalve to deliver short, high-pressure pulses. The resulting localized shear dynamically lowers apparent viscosity in the nozzle region and promotes controlled nucleation, ligament formation, necking, and pinch-off. A coupled, rheology-informed modeling framework (axisymmetric transient CFD, valve dynamics, and electromagnetic FEM) links actuation parameters to droplet volume and stability and guides hardware optimization. Experiments with 2.5% (w/v) sodium alginate validate stable droplet generation and tunable droplet size via stroke length and driving conditions. These results define a practical process window for high-resolution droplet printing of high-viscosity shear-thinning hydrogel inks.