In-situ multiscale X-ray tomography of new hybrid porous bone scaffolds formed by freeze-casting colloidal suspensions and used in mandibula

Maxillofacial surgeries require centimeters cube medical implants for bone reconstruction. We develop a new type of composite from a original “bricks & mortar" approach starting from bioactive glass nanoparticles (bricks) functionalized with customized polymers (PDLLA, poly (lactic acid), mortar). The particles are then dispersed in solution before a freeze-casting process that leads to a porous and bioactive material suitable for surgery. The in-situ growth process and multiscale morphology of the scaffolds can only be studied by conducting in-situ X-ray tomography. We plan 1) static multi-resolution phase contrast tomography to characterize both the macro-structure and the particles density over the material; 2) fast phase contrast tomography operando freeze-casting experiments by cooling the solid/solution interface using a dedicated X-ray tomography users-sample environment; 3) in-situ phase contrast tomography of mechanically loaded samples using the tomopress available at ID19.