Device and method for electrospinning multiple layered and three dimensional nanofibrous composite materials for tissue engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for preparing three dimensional (3D) nanofibers (blended or coaxial) materials by electrospinning. An automatic nanofiber collector device is used to control the porosity, pore size, crystallinity, geometry, the layer number and thickness of formed nanofibers. The automatic nanofiber collector device includes: (1) a collector platform; (2) a non-conductive device used to fix the collector device; (3) a plurality of electro-conductive wires or needles being pierced through the collector platform with various heights, and (4) the ends of the needles (at bottom) are wired and controlled by a microcontroller, providing forward, stand and backward movements for attached needles. The desired 3D nanofiber scaffold structures can be tailored by the micro-stepping programmable motor controller by changing the pattern and velocity of needle movement, generalized or selective needles movements, as well as intermittent versus continuous movement.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.