A Cell Patterning System Based on Thermal Ink-jet Technology

Abstract Tissue engineering has a significant impact on biological and medical area. It helps to eventually realize the repair, replace or improve tissue function or even the complete organ. Inkjet cell printing, as a simple and novel way in bio-fabrication, is a promising tool to fabricate cell pattern and scaffolds that directly serve the purpose of tissue engineering.This thesis introduces a thermal inkjet cell printing device. The mechanical design, software and pertinent test data are described. The specification of the printhead, a customized printing substrate and operating procedure is also presented. The printing device uses a thermal inkjet printhead to create droplet and patterns of cells. This research have found: 1) The lower limit of firing time for cell injection through the applied thermal inkjet printhead is 3 µs; 2) Patterns like circle or band can be produced by this device, with a resolution of 96 DPI; 3) This printing apparatus can provide reasonable cell viability; 4) With a properly prepared printing substrate and procedure, a monolayer of printed cell pattern can be achieved.