Controlling Droplet Impact Velocity and Droplet Volume: Key Factors to Achieving High Cell Viability in Sub-Nanoliter Droplet-based Bioprinting

Authors

  • Wei Long Ng HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, 65 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 637460, Singapore
  • Xi Huang HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, 65 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 637460, Singapore
  • Viktor Shkolnikov HP Inc., 1501 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
  • Guo Liang Goh Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP), School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
  • Ratima Suntornnond HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, 65 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 637460, Singapore
  • Wai Yee Yeong HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, 65 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 637460, Singapore

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v8i1.424

Keywords:

3D Bioprinting, 3D Printing, Biofabrication, Drop-on-demand printing, Sub-nanoliter cell printing

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting systems serve as advanced manufacturing platform for the precise deposition of cells and biomaterials at pre-defined positions. Among the various bioprinting techniques, the drop-on-demand jetting approach facilitates deposition of pico/nanoliter droplets of cells and materials for study of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Despite advances in the bioprinting systems, there is a poor understanding of how the viability of primary human cells within sub-nanoliter droplets is affected during the printing process. In this work, a thermal inkjet system is utilized to dispense sub-nanoliter cell-laden droplets, and two key factors – droplet impact velocity and droplet volume – are identified to have significant effect on the viability and proliferation of printed cells. An increase in the cell concentration results in slower impact velocity, which leads to higher viability of the printed cells and improves the printing outcome by mitigating droplet splashing. Furthermore, a minimum droplet volume of 20 nL per spot helps to mitigate evaporation-induced cell damage and maintain high viability of the printed cells within a printing duration of 2 min. Hence, controlling the droplet impact velocity and droplet volume in sub-nanoliter bioprinting is critical for viability and proliferation of printed human primary cells.

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Published

2021-10-28