Table 1 Techniques for fabricating polymer films and scaffolds
Technique | Description |
|---|---|
Solvent Casting [1] | A common method used for the fabrication of polymer films and scaffolds. Involves dissolving a hydrophobic polymer in a solvent, casting it into a mold, and evaporating the solvent, leaving behind a thin, nonporous film. Used for subretinal space scaffolds. |
Particulate Leaching [2] | Combines a polymer solution with a solvent-insoluble porogen to develop porous scaffolds. After solvent evaporation, the porogen is dissolved in an appropriate solvent (e.g., water), resulting in a porous sponge or foam with an open network. |
Phase Separation [3] | A technique used to fabricate porous fibrous scaffolds, producing structures with porous networks. |
Microfabrication [5] | Controls the physical and chemical architecture of materials on a microscale and nanoscale. Techniques include soft lithography and photolithography, where UV light exposure through a mask creates specific architectures or patterns. |
Photolithography [5] | A microfabrication method where UV light exposure through a mask dictates the exposure pattern to fabricate precise architectures. |
Electrospinning [6] | Utilizes high electrostatic forces to produce polymer fibers ranging from nanometers to hundreds of microns, suitable for various scaffolds. |