Fabrication of Piezoelectric Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Microstructures by Soft Lithography for Tissue Engineering a
- PDF / 979,979 Bytes
- 6 Pages / 612 x 792 pts (letter) Page_size
- 6 Downloads / 177 Views
1002-N04-05
Fabrication of Piezoelectric Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Microstructures by Soft Lithography for Tissue Engineering and Cell Biology Applications Daniel Gallego, Nicholas J. Ferrell, and Derek J. Hansford Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 270 Bevis Hall, 1080 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH, 43210
ABSTRACT A method for the fabrication of piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microstructures is described. Embossed and individual features with highly defined geometries at the microscale were obtained using soft lithography-based techniques. Various structure geometries were obtained, including pillars (three different aspect ratios), parallel lines, and criss-crossed lines. SEM characterization revealed uniform patterns with dimensions ranging from 2 µm ñ 15 µm. Human osteosarcoma (HOS) cell cultures were used to evaluate the cytocompatibility of the microstructures. SEM and fluorescence microscopy showed adequate cell adhesion, proliferation, and strong interaction with tips and corners of the microdiscontinuities. Microfabricated piezoelectric PVDF structures could find applications in the fabrication of mechanically active tissue engineering scaffolds, and the development of dynamic sensors at the cellular and subcellular levels.
INTRODUCTION Precisely controlled geometries at the micro and nano scale have shown to have great influence on cell behavior. Previous studies found that cells respond strongly to feature dimensions a fraction of their size. For this reason several microfabrication procedures have been adapted from the semiconductor industry to be used in areas like cell biology and tissue engineering among others [1 - 3]. The implementation of certain Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) has opened the door for a more precise measurement of biological variables at the microscale, which often allows early diagnostics, and a better understanding of pathophysiological processes affecting organisms. Different groups have pursued research on the fabrication of microsensors to characterize the mechanical interactions of cells with the substrate, which are known to be intimately related with factors such as cell adhesion, cytoskeletal organization, motility, migration patterns, differentiation, and morphogenesis of tissues and organs [4, 5]. Micro and nanotechnology have also facilitated the production of tissue engineering scaffolds with controlled morphology and chemistry at the micro and nanoscale, to provide more adequate environments for potential tissue regeneration. Previous research has also shown that for enhanced tissue repair, some cell lines (e.g. osteoblasts and chondrocytes) require external stimuli (e.g. mechanical or electrical), which is why tissue engineering has also been looking into the implementation of active materials, such as conducting polymers and piezoelectric materials, for the fabrication of optimal scaffolds for specific applications [6, 7].
This paper describes a method for the production of piezoelectric PVDF structures with controlled geom
Data Loading...
