Chou Pang-Yun, Chou Ying-Chao, Lai Yu-Hsuan, Lin Yu-Ting, Lu Chia-Jung, Liu Shih-Jung
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Craniofacial Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan.
Polymers (Basel). 2021 Jan 20;13(3):318. doi: 10.3390/polym13030318.
Polycaprolactone/nano-hydroxylapatite (PCL/nHA) nanocomposites have found use in tissue engineering and drug delivery owing to their good biocompatibility with these types of applications in addition to their mechanical characteristics. Three-dimensional (3D) printing of PCL/nHA nanocomposites persists as a defiance mostly because of the lack of commercial filaments for the conventional fused deposition modeling (FDM) method. In addition, as the composites are prepared using FDM for the purpose of delivering pharmaceuticals, thermal energy can destroy the embedded drugs and biomolecules. In this report, we investigated 3D printing of PCL/nHA using a lab-developed solution-extrusion printer, which consists of an extrusion feeder, a syringe with a dispensing nozzle, a collection table, and a command port. The effects of distinct printing variables on the mechanical properties of nanocomposites were investigated. Drug-eluting nanocomposite screws were also prepared using solution-extrusion 3D printing. The empirical outcomes suggest that the tensile properties of the 3D-printed PCL/nHA nanocomposites increased with the PCL/nHA-to-dichloromethane (DCM) ratio, fill density, and print orientation but decreased with an increase in the moving speed of the dispensing tip. Furthermore, printed drug-eluting PCL/nHA screws eluted high levels of antimicrobial vancomycin and ceftazidime over a 14-day period. Solution-extrusion 3D printing demonstrated excellent capabilities for fabricating drug-loaded implants for various medical applications.
聚己内酯/纳米羟基磷灰石（PCL/nHA）纳米复合材料因其良好的生物相容性以及机械特性，已在组织工程和药物递送领域得到应用。PCL/nHA纳米复合材料的三维（3D）打印仍然是一项挑战，主要原因是传统的熔融沉积建模（FDM）方法缺乏商用长丝。此外，由于使用FDM制备复合材料的目的是递送药物，热能会破坏嵌入的药物和生物分子。在本报告中，我们使用实验室开发的溶液挤出打印机研究了PCL/nHA的3D打印，该打印机由挤出进料器、带分配喷嘴的注射器、收集台和命令端口组成。研究了不同打印变量对纳米复合材料力学性能的影响。还使用溶液挤出3D打印制备了药物洗脱纳米复合螺钉。实验结果表明，3D打印的PCL/nHA纳米复合材料的拉伸性能随着PCL/nHA与二氯甲烷（DCM）之比、填充密度和打印方向的增加而增加，但随着分配尖端移动速度的增加而降低。此外，打印的药物洗脱PCL/nHA螺钉在14天内洗脱了高水平的抗菌药物万古霉素和头孢他啶。溶液挤出3D打印在制造用于各种医疗应用的载药植入物方面表现出卓越的能力。
