3D Printed Micro-Scaffolds Loaded by Inkjet Printing with μg-Precise Amount of Drug

Abstract

We propose a novel combination of two-photon polymerization (2PP) three-dimensional (3D) micro-manufacturing with drop-on-demand inkjet printing (DOD IJP) to fabricate 3D microporous scaffolds embedded with minute quantities of releasable drug. We designed the 3D micro-scaffolds with a variety of inner structures to study the optimal material infiltration, porosity and loading capacity to carry a defined amount of drug. IJP allows dosing of the drug load without waste, cross-contamination and overflow. 0.2 μg of dexamethasone (DEX) was printed into the micro-scaffold and subsequently released into phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Our method has the potential to create a new type of microporous-scaffold arrays for controlled release of a stored liquid for potential drug administration.