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Abstract
The wide array of tissue engineering applications exacerbates the need for biodegradable
materials with broad potential. Chitosan, the partially deacetylated derivative of
chitin, may be one such material. In this study, we examined the use of chitosan for
formation of porous scaffolds of controlled microstructure in several tissue-relevant
geometries. Porous chitosan materials were prepared by controlled freezing and lyophilization
of chitosan solutions and gels. The materials were characterized via light and scanning
electron microscopy as well as tensile testing. The scaffolds formed included porous
membranes, blocks, tubes and beads. Mean pore diameters could be controlled within
the range 1-250 microm, by varying the freezing conditions. Freshly lyophilized chitosan
scaffolds could be treated with glycosaminoglycans to form ionic complex materials
which retained the original pore structure. Chitosan scaffolds could be rehydrated
via an ethanol series to avoid the stiffening caused by rehydration in basic solutions.
Hydrated porous chitosan membranes were at least twice as extensible as non-porous
chitosan membranes, but their elastic moduli and tensile strengths were about tenfold
lower than non-porous controls. The methods and structures described here provide
a starting point for the design and fabrication of a family of polysaccharide based
scaffold materials with potentially broad applicability.