Methods of fabricating laser-sintered carbohydrate materials and compositions and uses thereof

Inventors

Miller, Jordan S. • Kinstlinger, Ian S.

Assignees

William Marsh Rice University

Abstract

A composition useful in forming a structure in the form of a substantially interconnected vascular network. The composition includes a powder including a carbohydrate powder and an anti-caking agent, where the powder: has a granular form, and has a specific energy of less than 6 millijoules per milliliter (mJ/mL).

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a tissue-engineering approach termed SLS-CaST, which forms a structure comprising a substantially interconnected vascular network. The approach uses selective laser sintering of carbohydrate powders blended with an optional anti-caking agent to form a stable, granular, free-flowing powder system. The powder is characterized by a specific energy multiplied by conditioned bulk density of less than 6 millijoules per milliliter, with controlled particle size.

In SLS-CaST, the SLS-formed carbohydrate template can be optionally surface-smoothed and/or surface-coated, and then backfilled with matrix materials including hydrogels, elastomers, and polymers. Crosslinking or solidification can be performed as part of forming the three-dimensional structure and then the carbohydrate template is dissolved or degraded in aqueous media to leave perfusable interconnected fluid channels. The resulting vascular-network structures are evaluated for patency and perfusion, including metabolic activity.

The document further describes evidence that the method supports improved 3D architectural complexity compared with extrusion-based sacrificial templating, particularly with regard to unsupported overhangs, complex branching, resolution/reproducibility, and throughput. Powder-flow and morphology are characterized, including specific energy versus nylon and morphology by SEM, and the effects of smoothing on roughness and filament width are reported. Additionally, dendritic vascular networks can be computationally generated using a mutual tree attraction algorithm for subsequent fabrication.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim provides a composition for forming a structure with a substantially interconnected vascular network. The inventive aspects are consolidated into a granular carbohydrate-containing powder with an energy-and-density threshold, optionally including an anti-caking agent and further handling and structural refinement limitations via dependent claims.

Across the claim set, the core composition requirement is a granular carbohydrate-containing powder optionally with an anti-caking agent meeting a specific-energy times conditioned-bulk-density product of less than 6 mJ/mL, with dependent claims narrowing carbohydrate options, anti-caking agent options, and free-flowing particle-size limits. The provided claim text also references three-dimensional structures formed by laser fusion into a contiguous filament and optional surface smoothing via a smoothing solution, as further refinements.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications