Method and apparatus for computer-aided tissue engineering for modeling, design and freeform fabrication of tissue scaffolds, constructs, and devices
AssigneeDrexel University
InventorsWei Sun, Jae Hyun Nam, Andrew Leete Darling, Saif Khalil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and apparatus are provided for manufacturing complex parts and devices which utilize a CAD environment to design a part or device to be created (FIG. 1); Boolean, scaling, smoothing, mirroring, or other operations to modify the CAD design; a software interface to convert the CAD designed part (Data Process System) or device into a heterogeneous material and multi-part assembly model (Design Input Model) which can be used for multi-nozzle printing; and a multi-nozzle system to print the designed part or device using different, specialized nozzles (Tissue substitutes).
Claims6
A process for multi-nozzle biopolymer deposition of heterogeneous materials to create or modify a composite biopolymer multi-part three-dimensional assembly having at least one biomimetic and at least one non-biomimetic feature comprising:
- (a) importing data from MRI, CT or other patient specific data into a CAD environment;
- (b) utilizing the CAD environment and said data to design and/or modify the composite multi-part assembly, using at least two of Boolean, scaling, smoothing, and mirroring CAD operations;
- (c) converting the CAD design into a three-dimensional heterogeneous material and multi-part assembly model in a format suitable for three-dimensional, multi-nozzle printing, wherein the design comprises at least one biomimetic feature and at least one non-biomimetic feature;
- and
- (d) printing the composite assembly by simultaneously depositing the heterogeneous materials using multiple, different, specialized nozzles, wherein the simultaneous depositing includes direct deposition of cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.