Phase-separation technologies for 3D scaffold engineering

In recent years, the thermally induced phase-separation process has been used extensively to form porous materials, such as scaffolds and drug delivery devices with pore sizes ranging from the nano- to the micro-scale. This chapter discusses the methods that are used for creating these tissue-engineering scaffolds. Porous tissue scaffolds offer several benefits for the engineering of soft tissues. These most notably include infiltration of cells and tissue infiltration together with vascularization to support perfusion of oxygen and nutrients. Phase separation technologies provide an almost unrivaled platform for the manufacture of 3D tissue-engineering scaffolds. The manufacturing processes involved are often relatively low cost, scalable, and compatible with a wide range of materials. The structural features attained can be designed to resemble native extracellular matrix or provide novel substrates capable of stimulating specific cellular responses. These attributes are likely to result in the technology being increasingly utilized as the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine grows.