三维多孔支架在组织工程中有重要用途,采用超临界流体技术——超临界CO2诱导相分离工艺制备聚己内酯(PCL)三维多孔支架,研究其可行性及工艺条件对三维多孔支架孔结构及其尺寸的影响。采用自行设计的实验装置,改变初始浓度、CO2压力和温度等工艺参数制备出不同孔径的PCL三维多孔支架。通过扫描电镜观察支架形貌,利用Image-Pro-Plus软件分析支架的平均孔径与孔径分布。结果表明,利用超临界CO2诱导相分离工艺可以制备PCL三维多孔支架,支架的平均孔径在40~80μm之间,孔径分布较好;随着初始浓度的增大和温度的减小,支架的孔径减小;压力对孔径的影响不大。通过对超临界CO2/丙酮/PCL三元体系的相平衡热力学计算,对实验结果进行了定性解释。
3-D porous scaffolds has an important role in tissue engineering.Supercritical CO2(ScCO2) induced phase separation method was employed to produce porous poly caprolactone(PCL) 3-D scaffold,and the effects of process parameters on pore size and structure were also investigated.A self-designed experiment system was set up.Four solution concentrations(15%,20%,25% and 30wt%),three CO2 pressures(10,12 and 14MPa),and three temperatures(35,40 and 45℃) were examined using the system.The morphologies of the scaffolds were examined by scanning electronic microscope.Pore distribution and pore size of the scaffolds were measured using image-pro-polus software.Porous PCL 3-D scaffolds with pore size range of 40-80μm were obtained.The results indicated that the pore size decreased as the solution concentration increased;while it also decreased as the temperature decreased.However,the change of CO2 pressure had no significant effect on pore size.The results were also explained qualitatively in terms of the thermodynamics calculations using ScCO2-AC-PCL ternary system.