Development of Plasma Device Integrated Electrospinning System for Biofabrication

Electrospinning is a bio-fabrication method, which helps to produce highly interconnected nano-porous structure with a high surface to volume ratio by using polymer solutions. In tissue engineering applications, scaffolds composed of electrospun nanofibers are produced from synthetic polymers to resemble specific tissue. Most of synthetic polymers has high hydrophobicity since the nonpolar groups located along their backbone. Thus, it effects cell-scaffold surface interactions and cellular responses Different surface modification techniques are used for nanofiber functionalization. Plasma discharge is used an effective method for the modification of the polymer surface. In this study, plasma integrated systems were set up. Conventional electrospinning system was used as control. The parameters, such as needle-to-syringe distance, plasma application spot, type of plasma electrode, were changed and the effect of different types of setup on nanofiber alignment and diameter and wettability were analyzed.