Assuring Quality of Scaffolds in Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

Mueller Matrix Polarimetry and Transillumination Imaging

authored by: Alexander Becker, Dierk Fricke, Bernhard Roth, Birgit Glasmacher
Abstract: In order to achieve the high quality required in medical products, reliable characterization methods and quality management systems are necessary. In the field of musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering (mTE), electrospinning is utilized to manufacture fibre scaffolds as implant material. Depending on the application, in this case the regeneration of tendon-bone junctions, properties like the degree of fibre orientation, homogeneity of fibre throughout the scaffold and reaction to external mechanical load are of particular importance. Currently, destructive methods, like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), are widely used to determine these properties. In addition to the destruction of the samples, these methods often only allow the investigation of very small sections. In this study, we present two new methods for the fast, non-destructive and contactless characterization of electrospun fibre scaffolds for mTE. These methods are based on Transillumination Imaging (TI) and Mueller Matrix Polarimetry (MMP), utilizing low-power laser sources or LED light sources, respectively, to determine the relative homogeneity (TI) and the degree of fibre orientation (MMP) in electrospun fibre scaffolds.
Organisation(s): Institute of Multiphase Processes
Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies (HOT)
Type: Article
Journal: Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering
Volume: 7
Pages: 179-182
No. of pages: 4
Publication date: 09.10.2021
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Biomedical Engineering
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2021-2046 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{87c27c2416bf4be58b570be5c9121d1b,
title = "Assuring Quality of Scaffolds in Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering: Mueller Matrix Polarimetry and Transillumination Imaging",
abstract = "In order to achieve the high quality required in medical products, reliable characterization methods and quality management systems are necessary. In the field of musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering (mTE), electrospinning is utilized to manufacture fibre scaffolds as implant material. Depending on the application, in this case the regeneration of tendon-bone junctions, properties like the degree of fibre orientation, homogeneity of fibre throughout the scaffold and reaction to external mechanical load are of particular importance. Currently, destructive methods, like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), are widely used to determine these properties. In addition to the destruction of the samples, these methods often only allow the investigation of very small sections. In this study, we present two new methods for the fast, non-destructive and contactless characterization of electrospun fibre scaffolds for mTE. These methods are based on Transillumination Imaging (TI) and Mueller Matrix Polarimetry (MMP), utilizing low-power laser sources or LED light sources, respectively, to determine the relative homogeneity (TI) and the degree of fibre orientation (MMP) in electrospun fibre scaffolds. ",
keywords = "electrospinning, fibre alignment, fibre scaffolds, Mueller matrix polarimetry, polycaprolactone, relative scaffold homogeneity, Tissue engineering, transillumination imaging",
author = "Alexander Becker and Dierk Fricke and Bernhard Roth and Birgit Glasmacher",
year = "2021",
month = oct,
day = "9",
doi = "10.1515/cdbme-2021-2046",
language = "English",
volume = "7",
pages = "179--182",
journal = "Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering",
issn = "2364-5504",
publisher = "Walter de Gruyter GmbH",
number = "2",
}