Browsing by Author "Wettergreen, Matthew"
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Item Open-source three-dimensional printing of biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering(Wiley, 2014) Trachtenberg, Jordan E.; Mountziaris, Paschalia M.; Miller, Jordan S.; Wettergreen, Matthew; Kasper, F. Kurtis; Mikos, Antonios G.The fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering requires elements of customization depending on the application and is often limited due to the flexibility of the processing technique. This investigation seeks to address this obstacle by utilizing an open-source three-dimensional printing (3DP) system that allows vast customizability and facilitates reproduction of experiments. The effects of processing parameters on printed poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds with uniform and gradient pore architectures have been characterized with respect to fiber and pore morphology and mechanical properties. The results demonstrate the ability to tailor the fiber diameter, pore size, and porosity through modification of pressure, printing speed, and programmed fiber spacing. A model was also used to predict the compressive mechanical properties of uniform and gradient scaffolds, and it was found that modulus and yield strength declined with increasing porosity. The use of open-source 3DP technologies for printing tissue-engineering scaffolds provides a flexible system that can be readily modified at a low cost and is supported by community documentation. In this manner, the 3DP system is more accessible to the scientific community, which further facilitates the translation of these technologies toward successful tissue-engineering strategies.Item The effect of material organization on the structural properties of porous architectures(2008) Wettergreen, MatthewTissue engineered scaffolds are often considered "black boxes." Post implantation, they are solely expected to provide temporary mechanical support and foster tissue ingrowth while de novo tissue forms around its matrix. This is rarely the case however, as the post implantation interaction between this foreign body and the host biological system is largely uncontrolled. A growing body of concrete results is overwriting previous holistic knowledge to provide firm and hierarchical guidelines for successful scaffold design. Two areas have recently demonstrated fertile ground for progress: (1) the mechanical strength of architecture and (2) the fluid flow properties of that architecture, both of which act on different void phases. Mechanical properties are controlled by the solid phase of the matrix, while the void space determines fluid flow characteristics. The objective of this dissertation was to demonstrate the benefits of an analysis of the structural properties of tissue engineered scaffolds combined with the specific design potentials of computer-aided tissue engineering (CATE) for orthopaedic applications. Two overarching goals directed this research. The first was focused on antipodal properties and addressed solutions which included an interplay between opposing poles while matching biological properties and secondly, to apply that knowledge towards the design of patient specific implants. Two antipodal properties were studied; (1) modification of the solid phase was addressed with respect to structural mechanical properties and (2) modification of the void phase was studied to determine fluid flow characteristics of porous architectures. These concepts were then applied in real applications using CATE towards the goal of tissue engineered scaffolds for bone repair and drug regimen.Item The Electronic Vesalius: Embodying Anatomy Atlases(The MIT Press, 2018) Mulligan, John; Wettergreen, Matthew; Jin, Ying; Rasich, Benjamin; Phillips, IsaacA multidisciplinary team at Rice University transformed the Texas Medical Center (TMC) Library’s collection of rare anatomy atlases into a physical-digital, human-sized atlas-of-atlases. The Electronic Vesalius installation gives these old books new life, informed by contemporary media theory and the centuries of medical and aesthetic criticism provoked by these multimedia image-texts.