Computer-aided characterization for effective mechanical properties of porous tissue scaffolds

Performance of various functions of the tissue structure depends on porous scaffold microstructures with specific porosity characteristics that influence the behavior of the incorporated or ingrown cells. Understanding the mechanical properties of porous tissue scaffold is important for its biological and biomechanical tissue engineering application. This paper presents a computer aided characterization approach to evaluate the effective mechanical properties of porous tissue scaffold. An outline of a computer-aided tissue engineering approach for design and fabrication of porous tissue scaffold, procedure of computer-aided characterization and its interface with design model, development of a computational algorithm for finite element implementation and numerical solution of asymptotic homogenization theory is presented. Application of the algorithm to characterize the effective mechanical properties of porous poly-1-caprolactone scaffold manufactured by precision extruding freeform deposition will also be presented, along with a parametric study of the process and design parameter to the structural properties of tissue scaffold. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.