Various implant treatments, including total disc replacements, have been tried to treat lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, which is claimed to be the main contributor of lower back pain. The treatments, however, come with peripheral issues. This study proposes a novel approach that complies with the anatomical features of IVD, the so-called monolithic total disc replacement (MTDR). As the name suggests, the MTDR is a one-part device that consists of lattice and rigid structures to mimic the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus, respectively. The MTDR can be made of two types of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU 87A and TPU 95A) and fabricated using a 3D printing approach: fused filament fabrication. The MTDR design involves two configurations—the full lattice (FLC) and anatomy-based (ABC) configurations. The MTDR is evaluated in terms of its physical, mechanical, and cytotoxicity properties. The physical characterization includes the geometrical evaluations, wettability measurements, degradability tests, and swelling tests. The mechanical characterization comprises compressive tests of the materials, an analytical approach using the Voigt model of composite, and a finite element analysis. The cytotoxicity assays include the direct assay using hemocytometry and the indirect assay using a tetrazolium-based colorimetric (MTS) assay. The geometrical evaluation shows that the fabrication results are tolerable, and the two materials have good wettability and low degradation rates. The mechanical characterization shows that the ABC-MTDR has more similar mechanical properties to an IVD than the FLC-MTDR. The cytotoxicity assays prove that the materials are non-cytotoxic, allowing cells to grow on the surfaces of the materials.

Engineering a cell-friendly material in a form of lab-on-chip is the main goal of this study. The chip was made of polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) with a surface modification to realize a groovy structure on its surface. This groovy surface was naturally and randomly designed via biomachining process. This measure was aimed to improve the cell attachment on the PDMS surface that always known as hydrophobic surface. The biomachined surface of mold and also products were characterized as surface roughness and wettability. The result shows that the biomachining process were able to be characterized in three classes of roughness on the surface of PDMS.

This paper investigates the ability of biomachined lab-on-a-chip (LoC) to perform drug testing of Amphotericin B to the Candida albicans. The chip is made of polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS). Molds are patterned using CNC milling followed by biomachining. CNC milling process creates channel features on the bottom mold, while biomachining forms rough surface on the channels. After the molds are created, LoC can be manufactured using those molds. Hence, contour surface on LoC’s channels is also realized following the mold surface. Later, Candida albicans is seeded on the LoC’s channels for 24 and 48 hours with the continuous flow of Yeast Nitrogen Base (YNB) Sterile. Then, cell viability is tested using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT).The result shows that C. albicans could adhere and grow in the LoC channels. Based on this result, drug testing is conducted in the presence and absence of Amphotericin B (Amp B) under two schemes: without (static) and with (dynamic) the continuous flow of YNB Sterile and Amp B. After 48 hour incubation period, C. albicans biofilm of 28.72 % is shown during dynamic scheme, whereas static scheme had C. albicans biofilm of 99.32 % indicating that the dynamic scheme provides a better efficacy compared to the static scheme.

Introduction: Pap smear training is commonly conducted using simulators before practicing with humans. Unfortunately, existing simulators do not well simulate the biomechanical properties of pelvic tissues, and this may negatively impact the training outcome. In this study, we used finite element analysis (FEA) to identify a material that most accurately simulates pelvic tissues in terms of biomechanical properties for fabricating gynecologic training simulators. The selected material was then used to fabricate a vagina and cervix model using a hybrid technique of fused deposition modeling and molding to qualitatively confirm the structural integrity of the simulator. Methods: The vagina and cervix were reconstructed in a 3-dimensional feature according to geometrical parameters reported in the literature. The biomechanical compliance of the simulators was investigated by comparing 5 materials—RTV615, Dragon Skin 10, Dragon Skin 30, Dragon Skin FX-Pro, and Ecoflex 00-30—and a pelvic tissue model (control) using 2 FEA modules. The structural mechanics module simulated the insertion and opening of a vaginal speculum, and the (1) horizontal opening of the vagina and peak von Mises stress at the anterior and (2) posterior walls of the vagina were obtained. The explicit dynamics module estimated (1) the fracture stress during punch biopsies and (2) maximum perpendicular deformation of the cervix before break. The most biomechanically compliant material was subsequently used to fabricate the simulator using the hybrid technique. Results: From the FEA, the horizontal opening of the vagina, peak von Mises stress at the anterior wall of the vagina, peak von Mises stress at the posterior wall of the vagina fracture stress, and maximum perpendicular deformation of the cervix before break were obtained; the results of Dragon Skin 10 and the control were most similar. Therefore, the simulator was fabricated using the material. A qualitative evaluation of the simulator by the naked eye verified its structural integrity. Conclusions: Of the materials studied, the FEA results showed that Dragon Skin 10 was the most accurate material for simulating pelvic tissues in terms of the biomechanical properties in a gynecologic training simulator. The simulator was also successfully fabricated using the hybrid technique. Further studies may also involve experimental testing to support the simulation results.

Corneal blindness is commonly treated through corneal replacement with allogeneic corneal donors, which may face shortage. Regarding this issue, xenogeneic alternatives are explored. Fish scale-derived scaffolds (FSSs) are among the alternatives due to the lower risk of infection and abundant sources of raw materials. Unfortunately, the information about mechanical, optical, chemical, and biological performances of FSSs for corneal replacements is still scattered, as well as about the fabrication techniques. This study aims to gather scattered pieces of information about the mentioned performances and fabrication techniques of FSSs for corneal replacements. Sorted from four scientific databases and using the PRISMA checklist, eleven relevant articles are collected. FSSs are commonly fabricated using decellularization and decalcification processes, generating FSSs with parallel multilayers or crossed fibers with topographic microchannels. In the collected studies, similar mechanical properties of FSSs to native tissues are discovered, as well as good transparency, light remittance, but poorer refractive indexes than native tissues. Biological evaluations mostly discuss histology, cell proliferations, and immune responses on FSSs, while only a few studies examine the vascularization. No studies completed comprehensive evaluations on the four properties. The current progress of FSS developments demonstrates the potential of FSS use for corneal replacements.