Structural and fluid transport characterization of bio-scaffolds based on 3D imaging data

Abstract

Bio-scaffolds which are most commonly open celled porous structures are increasingly used for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Numerical studies exploring the influence of architecture on structural and flow characteristics of porous media have been carried out but these studies almost exclusively assume an idealized repeating unit cell approach. However, most of the traditional techniques employed to manufacture bio-scaffolds do not result in uniform pore sizes and connectivities. A number of studies have shown that the bulk properties of such irregular structures are poorly modeled using idealized unit cell approaches. Therefore, accurate modeling of bio-scaffolds with non-uniform cellular structures is very important for the development of optimal scaffolds for tissue engineering application. The paper will use novel image based meshing techniques to explore both fluid flow and bulk structural properties of a bone scaffold. The work highlights the potential use of image based meshing for the ad hoc characterization of scaffolds as well as for assisting in the design of scaffolds with tailored strength, stiffness and transport properties.