Piezoelectric inkjet printing of cells and biomaterials

Tissue engineering is a rapidly expanding field which aims to repair damaged tissue using a more regenerative approach. Technology has advanced to provide complex scaffolds with controlled architecture and porosity however problems with incorporating cells into the scaffold structure still persist. Standard cell seeding techniques can result in a poor cell seeding density, pore occlusion and is limited with regards to cell penetration, scaffold size and cell placement. Drop-on-demand inkjet printing is a fabrication technique which is capable of depositing materials layer-by-layer to form complex constructs. This technique has the potential to be used as a tool for the deposition of living cells. If this could be achieved then the simultaneous deposition of multiple cell types and scaffold matrix could yield a reality whereby human tissue could be fabricated with a precision not only applicable to scaffold architecture but also to the placement of multiple cell types. This work presents an insight into the effect of printing parameters on cell viability, deposition characteristics and explores methods of immobilization with an aim to achieve three-dimensions. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.