Layered Composite Model for Design and Fabrication of Bone Replacement

Biological tissues are inherently heterogeneous. The design of 3D tissue scaffolds for tissue engineering application should, if possible, biomimic the complex hierarchy and structural heterogeneity of the replaced tissues. This is particularly true for design of bone scaffolds with structural properties compatible with the spatial heterogeneity and mechanical properties of the replaced tissue. The paper presents an image-based computer modeling approach for reconstruction, characterization, and biomimetic modeling and design of three-dimensional heterogeneous tissue structure. The presented work will cover: 1) overview of biomimetic modeling and design of bone structures and reverse engineering for CAD-based constructive solid geometry; 2) design of bone scaffold; and 3) slicing and process planning for solid freeform fabrication.