Method for the Fabrication of Elastomeric Polyester Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Minimally Invasive Delivery

Using the methods described herein,
we have demonstrated how scaffolds
can be designed for a number of applications including tissue engineering,
biomedical devices and injectable tissues. Details on the methods
of polymerization and physical and chemical characterization of poly­(octamethylene
maleate (anhydride) citrate (POMaC) are described. Two POMaC polymer
recipes with different monomer ratios of maleic anhydride and citric
acid were synthesized and compared. Mechanical testing was performed on scaffolds
of two distinct anisotropic designs to show how scaffold design influences
the apparent elasticity in the long and short axis. POMaC scaffolds
of various patterns and geometries were fabricated to demonstrate:
(1) scaffold function can be determined by scaffold design (e.g.,
inherent shape-memory or self-assembling tubular structures), and
(2) the soft lithography approach to fabricating biodegradable elastomers
described here can be used to suit a number of different potential
applications.