Micro - Architectural Data Extraction for Electrospun Poly (Ester Urethane) Urea Scaffolds for Biomechanical Modeling.

Problem: Soft tissue engineered applications have raised the need for accurate descriptions of tissue microstructure and their contributions to global mechanical behavior [1]. Accurate material image analysis is crucial to model engineered tissue biomechanics. The present study proposes a novel method to automatically collect micro-architectural data from electron micrographs (SEM) of electrospun poly (ester urethane) urea (PEUU). Methods: Sets of contiguous SEM images for electrospun PEUU scaffolds made using three mandrel collection tangential velocities (1.5, 4.5, 9.0 m/s) were analyzed. A combination of thresholding and morphological procedures enabled overlaps of fibers to be detected.…

Micro Scale Based Mechanical Models for Electrospun Poly (Ester Urethane) Urea Scaffolds.

Micro scale based mechanical models can provide a tool to guide tissue engineering scaffold design and to investigate on how the cellular mechanical and metabolic response are related to local micro-structural deformations. The present study proposes a novel approach to automatically collect micro-architectural data from SEM images of electrospun poly (ester urethane) urea (PEUU) and to recreate statistically equivalent scaffold mechanical models. Sets of contiguous SEM images for each of the three mandrel velocities (1.5, 4.5, 9.0 m/s) were analyzed. A combination of thresholding and morphological procedures enabled fibers overlaps to be detected. The algorithm precision was tested on regu…

Micro-Architecture Based Structural Model for Elastomeric Electrospun Scaffolds.