Design and development of a nozzle-free electrospinning device for the high-throughput production of biomaterial nanofibers

Muhammad Waqas, Antonios Keirouz, Maria Kana Sanira Putri, Faraz Fazal, Francisco Javier Diaz Sanchez, Dipa Ray, Vasileios Koutsos, Norbert Radacsi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Citations (SciVal)
64 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This technical note provides a step-by-step guide for the design and construction of a temperature-controlled nozzle-free electrospinning device. The equipment uses a rotating mandrel partially immersed within a polymer solution to produce fibers in an upward motion by inducing the formation of multiple Taylor cones and subsequently multi-jetting out of an electrified open surface. Free-surface electrospinning can overcome limitations and drawbacks associated with single and multi-nozzle spinneret configurations, such as low yield, limited production capacity, nonuniform electric field distribution, and clogging. Most importantly, this lab-scaled high-throughput device can provide an alternative economical route for needleless electrospinning research, in contrast to the high costs associated with industrially available upscaling equipment. Among the device's technical specifications, a key feature is a cryo-collector mandrel, capable of collecting fibers in sub-zero temperatures, which can induce ultra-porous nanostructures, wider pores, and subsequent in-depth penetration of cells. A multi-channel gas chamber allows the conditioning of the atmosphere, temperature, and airflow, while the chamber's design averts user exposure to the high-voltage components. All the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files and point-by-point assembly instructions, along with a list of the materials used, are provided.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)80-87
Number of pages8
JournalMedical Engineering and Physics
Volume92
Early online date6 May 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Konstantinos Giapis and Ben Abbot of California Institute of Technology for their help with the design and operation. The authors also would like to thank Andrew Mullen, Paul Aitken, and Fergus Dingwall of The University of Edinburgh for their help and support. We would also like to thank Michael Chung for his valuable input to improve the quality of some of the figures.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Funding

Mw MW and FF would like to express thei their gratitude to Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, for their financial support.

Keywords

  • biomaterials
  • cryo-electrospinning
  • electrospinning
  • high-throughput
  • nanofibers
  • Nozzle-free

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Biomedical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Design and development of a nozzle-free electrospinning device for the high-throughput production of biomaterial nanofibers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this