Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 548-557 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | International Journal of Artificial Organs |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| Early online date | 3 Jul 2019 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2019 |
Abstract
Keywords
- bioprinting, chemical cross-linking, diffusive properties, gelation, Sodium alginate
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemical Engineering(all)
- Bioengineering
- Medicine(all)
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Materials Science(all)
- Biomaterials
- Engineering(all)
- Biomedical Engineering
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In: International Journal of Artificial Organs, Vol. 42, No. 10, 10.2019, p. 548-557.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimental characterization and computational modeling of hydrogel cross-linking for bioprinting applications
AU - Hajikhani, Aidin
AU - Scocozza, Franca
AU - Conti, Michele
AU - Marino, Michele
AU - Auricchio, Ferdinando
AU - Wriggers, Peter
N1 - Funding information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: A.H. and M.M. acknowledge that this work has been carried out within the framework of the SMART BIOTECS alliance between the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Leibniz University of Hannover. This initiative is financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) of Lower Saxony, Germany. Moreover, F.A., M.C., and F.S. acknowledge the 3D@UniPV Project.
PY - 2019/10
Y1 - 2019/10
N2 - Alginate-based hydrogels are extensively used to create bioinks for bioprinting, due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, low costs, and slight gelling. Modeling of bioprinting process can boost experimental design reducing trial-and-error tests. To this aim, the cross-linking kinetics for the chemical gelation of sodium alginate hydrogels via calcium chloride diffusion is analyzed. Experimental measurements on the absorbed volume of calcium chloride in the hydrogel are obtained at different times. Moreover, a reaction-diffusion model is developed, accounting for the dependence of diffusive properties on the gelation degree. The coupled chemical system is solved using finite element discretizations which include the inhomogeneous evolution of hydrogel state in time and space. Experimental results are fitted within the proposed modeling framework, which is thereby calibrated and validated. Moreover, the importance of accounting for cross-linking-dependent diffusive properties is highlighted, showing that, if a constant diffusivity property is employed, the model does not properly capture the experimental evidence. Since the analyzed mechanisms highly affect the evolution of the front of the solidified gel in the final bioprinted structure, the present study is a step towards the development of reliable computational tools for the in silico optimization of protocols and post-printing treatments for bioprinting applications.
AB - Alginate-based hydrogels are extensively used to create bioinks for bioprinting, due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, low costs, and slight gelling. Modeling of bioprinting process can boost experimental design reducing trial-and-error tests. To this aim, the cross-linking kinetics for the chemical gelation of sodium alginate hydrogels via calcium chloride diffusion is analyzed. Experimental measurements on the absorbed volume of calcium chloride in the hydrogel are obtained at different times. Moreover, a reaction-diffusion model is developed, accounting for the dependence of diffusive properties on the gelation degree. The coupled chemical system is solved using finite element discretizations which include the inhomogeneous evolution of hydrogel state in time and space. Experimental results are fitted within the proposed modeling framework, which is thereby calibrated and validated. Moreover, the importance of accounting for cross-linking-dependent diffusive properties is highlighted, showing that, if a constant diffusivity property is employed, the model does not properly capture the experimental evidence. Since the analyzed mechanisms highly affect the evolution of the front of the solidified gel in the final bioprinted structure, the present study is a step towards the development of reliable computational tools for the in silico optimization of protocols and post-printing treatments for bioprinting applications.
KW - bioprinting
KW - chemical cross-linking
KW - diffusive properties
KW - gelation
KW - Sodium alginate
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068616044&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0391398819856024
DO - 10.1177/0391398819856024
M3 - Article
C2 - 31267806
AN - SCOPUS:85068616044
VL - 42
SP - 548
EP - 557
JO - International Journal of Artificial Organs
JF - International Journal of Artificial Organs
SN - 0391-3988
IS - 10
ER -