| Abstract Scope |
Electrospinning is one of the most affordable and accessible nanofabrication techniques for processing fibrous materials. Gouma’s group at OSU have demonstrated several innovations and applications for electrospun biomaterials. However, conventional lab-scale electrospinning is a very slow process. A handful of companies have designed very large machines which arr restrictive in terms of usable polymers and solvents, and can cost millions of dollars. Upon receiving an Accelerator Award from the State of Ohio, Gouma’s group worked with The Orton Ceramic Foundation to design and fabricate a self-contained, turnkey, desktop, high-throughput electrospinning system. The new design supports a fabrication rate that is orders of magnitude greater than that of a conventional, single-needle setup. The geometry of the setup is geared to act as a bridge to industrial-level production rates. A list of inventions from Gouma’s group involving use of electrospinning are also presented.
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