Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

This Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) proposal aims at purchasing several components to establish a novel solid freeform fabrication workstation employed in the manufacturing of biodegradable scaffolds/substrates with heterogeneous internal architectures. Incorporation of the requested components in this novel workstation adds a new dimension to the fabrication of anatomically-shaped scaffolds/substrates by enabling the following capabilities: (i) incorporation of variable powder sizes across scaffolds/substrates, (ii) creation of conformal passages, (iii) creation of controlled, pre-determined porosity distribution in desired orientations, (iv) control of compaction force during the production of scaffolds/substrates, (v) selective injection of polymeric elements and nano-particles on non-planar surfaces, and (vi) insertion of a sacrificial porogen material to control the level of macro-porosity in desired regions of the scaffolds/ substrates. This unique solid freeform fabrication workstation will be adaptable to a variety of biodegradable materials (e.g., calcium polyphosphate, hydroxyapatite) with different powder mesh sizes. The capabilities offered by the integrated system are essential to the ongoing research programs of the applicants in which innovative approaches are developed to replace biological joints based upon tissue engineering fundamentals. This research aims at repair of a part or a damaged joint while retaining the essential characteristics of natural joints with normal functionality. This innovative project will have significant impacts on the development of new biphasic implants used in craniofacial joint and spinal reconstruction for which the market size is about $2.5 billion in the world. In general, the outputs of the project and the trained HQP are of great importance to Canadian health research and health care with a direct impact on the improvement of human health, well-being and longevity.