SBIR Phase I: Additive Manufacturing for Soft Tissue Repair by Three-Dimensional Microfiber Fabrication (3DMF)

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改善软组织愈合的植入程序的结果。美国每年进行的肌肉骨骼修复手术超过200万例，市场价值50亿美元。该项目将开发一种新的3D微纤维打印工艺项目，以快速、经济地生产性能更好的临床级打印植入物，而不是传统的3D打印，将合成的生物聚合物完全熔化或融合成固体和刚性物体。这项技术将显著降低商品成本，加快产品开发周期。这种新型植入物将在现有产品昂贵得令人望而却步的市场上获得，包括门诊外科中心，其中大多数外科手术都是在这些市场上进行的。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将推进新型3D微纤维打印机的设计和工程，该打印机可以将临床相关的合成生物聚合物细丝组装成纤维状、柔韧性、高孔隙率/孔隙率的植入物，以促进软组织愈合。这种方法在质量、成本、速度和可制造性方面都有改进。这个项目将使用行业标准的测试来探索材料的强度、细胞兼容性和生物兼容性。预期的技术成果包括一种受控纤维3D打印方法的定量措施，该方法与各种合成生物聚合物兼容，并跨越临床适应症。该项目将优化硬件工程、聚合物和印刷配置。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project isto improve the outcomes for implant procedures for soft tissue healing. More than 2 million musculoskeletal repair surgeries are performed in the U.S. each year, representing a $5 B market. Instead of conventional 3D printing that completely melts or fuses synthetic biopolymers into solid and rigid objects, this project will develop a novel 3D microfiber printing process project to rapidly and economically produce clinical-grade printed implants with better performance. This technology will offer a significant reduction in the cost of goods and a faster product development cycle. The novel implants will be available in markets wherein existing products are prohibitively expensive, including ambulatory surgical centers, wherein most of these surgical procedures are performed.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will progress the design and engineering for a novel 3D microfiber printer that can assemble clinically relevant synthetic biopolymer filaments into fibrous, flexible, high void/porosity implants to promote soft tissue healing. This approach offers improvements in quality, cost, speed, and manufacturability. This project will explore the material strength, cytocompatibility, and biocompatibility using industry-standard testing. Expected technical results include quantitative measures for a controlled fibrous 3D printing method compatible with diverse synthetic biopolymers and across clinical indications. This project will optimize the hardware engineering, polymer, and print configuration.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.