Porosity Analysis in 3D Printed Scaffolds of Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid using Image Processing of Scanning Electron Microscopy

PABLO FERNANDEZ; ROMINA COMÍN; NANCY SALVATIERRA; JUAN PABLO REAL; MARIANA CID

Congreso; XXIV Congreso de Bioingeniería y las XIII Jornadas de Ingeniería Clínica (SABI 2023); 2023

The study focused on the manufacturing of collagen and hyaluronic acid scaffolds using 3D printing, and the characterization of their porosity through the analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, along with their processing in Python. The results showed that 3D printing allowed to obtain scaffolds with a defined three-dimensional structure and a uniform distribution of pores. The processing of the microcopy images in Python allowed a precise quantification of the porosity, obtaining a mean porosity of 55.6% ± 0.9%. This Python image processing approach offers advantages such as objectivity and re-producibility in porosity assessment, the possibility of performing comparative studies, and integration with other scientific tools. These results contribute to the development of collagen and hyaluronic acid scaffolds for applications in tissue engineering and tissue regeneration.