Photo-polymerized microarchitectural constructs prepared by microstereolithography (μSL) using liquid acrylate-end-capped trimethylene carbonate-based prepolymers

Precision microarchitectural constructs made of acrylated trimethylene carbonate (TMC)-based liquid prepolymers were photo-polymerized using a custom-designed microstereolithographic apparatus. In this study. three different photo-polymerizable liquid prepolymers were prepared by the polymerization of TMC with a low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (mol. wt. 200 or 1000); designated as PEG200 or PEG1000, respectively or trimethylolpropane (TMP) as an initiator. and subsequently end-capped with an acrylate group. As a result of layer-by-layer photo-irradiation of the prepolymer with a movable ultraviolet light pen driven by computer-aided design, a three-dimensional (3D) micropillar array, a microbank array, a microcone array, and multi-microtunnels formed on a platform plate or a glass plate were precisely fabricated. The PEG-based polymers exhibited a very low cell adhesion potential, whereas the TMP-based hydrophobic polymer exhibited high cell adhesion and proliferation potentials. The microbank array, which consisted of a plate made of the TMP-based polymer and microbanks made of the PEG200-based polymer. caused cell adhesion and proliferation only on the plate. Upon the implantation of microcone arrays under the subcutis of rats. the photo-polymerized construct made of the poorly swellable PEG200-based polymer exhibited only surface erosion and limited drug loading and releasing potentials. On the other hand, the photo-polymerized construct made of the highly swellable PEG1000-based polymer exhibited not only surface erosion but also bulk erosion and high drug loading and releasing potentials. In this paper, we discuss their potential biomedical applications. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.