Electrospinning Optical Gallery

Electrospinning & Electrospraying

Electrospinning & Electrospraying Optical Gallery

Electrospun Commercial Medical Products

This image shows some electrospun product that can be generated with the Fluidnatek technology under cGMP and ISO-13485 for medical devices. These include electrospun scaffolding material as a wound dressing, micronized nanofibers, stent covered with nano- or micro-fibers, tubular scaffolds, electrospun yarns, among others.

Electrospun Sample to Improve Wound Healing

Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolding sample for wound dressing applications. It is made out of a natural based protein able to biomimic the extracellular matrix. These types of samples can be made with natural polymers like collagen, gelatin, chitosan and soy based materials. Researchers have also used FDA approved synthetic polymers like polycaprolactone, polylactic acid, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid).

Electrospun Micronized Nanofibers

Micronized nanofibers made out of electrospinning can be used for drug delivery or wound healing. They can be injected for direct application of fibers to the intended wound. This type of sample can be sprinkled over complex shaped wounds to improve wound healing. If a drug is loaded on the fibers, the micronized nanofibers can deliver a drug while aiding the wound healing process.

Stent covered Electrospun Polycaprolactone Fibers

Two stents used as medical devices, one composed only of nitinol metal and the second one coated with electrospun fibers. The Fluidnatek technology allows to coat medical devices like stent with electrospun fibers and/or particles. Coating a stent with electrospun fibers allows the device to be biocompatible and its properties can be tuned based on application needs.

Electrospun Sample made with Randomly Oriented Fibers

This stretched sample shows electrospun microfibers made with polycaprolactone (PCL) using the Fluidnatek technology. These electrospun fibers are able to elongate more than 100% and it is thanks to the mechanical properties of PCL when dichloromethane is used as the solvent. Electrospinning is a versatile technique where users can fine tune sample properties based on application needs.

Mandrel Covered with Electrospun Polycaprolactone Containing an Additive

Electrospun blood vessels are one of the many possibilities of electrospun materials that can be generated using the Fluidnatek technology. This image shows a mandrel covered with electrospun polycaprolactone containing red food coloring, which imparts the light red color on the sample. Additives can be easily incorporated in the solution, allowing the final sample to be embedded with them.

Sample Removal from Rotating Mandrel

Tubular electrospun samples can be removed from the mandrel by sliding the sample or cutting it into small sections. The sample shown and made with polycaprolactone containing red food coloring as an additive, was cut to be used for contact angle analysis. This particular sample had a 1 cm inside diameter, but the Fluidnatek technology allows diameters smaller than 1 mm and more than 20 cm based on application needs.

Wettability Analysis on Polycaprolactone with an Additive

Contact angle analysis of an electrospun sample made with polycaprolactone (PCL) and red food coloring as an additive. The addition of the dye did not significantly affected the hydrophobicity of the PCL fibers as it remained with a value higher than 130°. Depending on additives used, the wettability of an electrospun sample can be fine tuned based on application needs.

Wettability Analysis on Hydrophobic Electrospun Polycaprolactone

This image shows the hydrophobic behavior of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) under static contact angle analysis using the Attension line. The analysis was done with a water drop of 4 µL and repeated seven times to obtain a representative value of the hydrophobicity of PCL.

Wettability Analysis on Hydrophilic Electrospun Gelatin

Contact angle analysis of an electrospun gelatin made with the Fluidnatek LE-500 under tight environmental conditions. The quick absorption of the water onto the sample is shown in the image. Gelatin is a hydrophilic material and commonly used in tissue engineering applications as it is non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable.

Wettability Analysis on Blended Polycaprolactone:Polyethylene Terephthalate Electrospun Sample

Closer look at the wettability on blended polycaprolactone and polyethylene terephthalate fibers at a ratio of 90:10 by weight. Contact angle analysis can be used to quickly evaluate if residual solvent is present. If polar solvents were used, and not evaporated properly, the sample would behave as hydrophilic, allowing to quickly optimize the electrospinning process to minimize residual solvent.

Rotating Drum Covered with Randomly Oriented Electrospun Polyhydroxybutyrate Fibers

Randomly oriented electrospun polyhydroxybutyrate fibers collected on a rotating drum with 10 cm diameter and 30 cm in length. The drum was homogeneously coated thanks to the needle translation capabilities the Fluidnatek technology offers. If needle translation is not used, the sample homogeneity will not be present, compromising results and batch-to-batch reproducibility.

Effect of Negative High Voltage on Rotating Mandrels

Electrospun fibers are typically deposited onto ground surfaces. Control over collector voltage opens many possibilities on sample properties. This image shows the effect of negative voltage on mandrel collectors. At 0 kV (top rod) the sample is spread out with a bumpy surface due to residual charge. As the voltage decreases (-5 kV, middle; -15 kV, lower) deposition area is reduced with a smoother surface.

Effect of Negative High Voltage on a Flat Plate Collector

This image shows the effect of negative high voltage on a flat collector. At -10 kV (left) the sample deposition area is around 4 cm, with the area increasing to 7 cm when using -4 kV (right). The Fluidnatek technology allows control over the collector voltage (positive and/or negative) which aids in sample collection and prevents delamination between layers, a crucial property for medical devices.

Y-Shaped Collector Covered with Electrospun Polyurethane Fibers

Electrospun polyurethane fibers collected onto a Y-shaped collector with the Fluidnatek LE-100. This image is an example of the many possibilities of types of collectors that can be used to collect fibers, or particles, with atypical morphologies.

Effect of Dwelling Time to Improve Thickness on Sample Edges

This image shows electrospun polylactic acid fibers collected onto a 10 cm drum collector. The edges are intentionally thicker than the rest of the sample. This demonstrates one capability of the Fluidnatek technology to improve sample homogeneity. Dwelling on the edges can be controlled from a couple milliseconds to 10 seconds, improving thickness morphology on the final sample.

Funnel of Electrospun Fibers to Generate Surgical Sutures

Electrospun yarns are becoming popular within the scientific community as they can be used to generate biodegradable and biocompatible sutures with different drugs. The Fluidnatek technology allows the use of yarn collectors where one or multiple types of materials can be collected simultaneously under tight environmental conditions, allowing for reproducibility needed for FDA clearance and GMP production.

Electrospun Yarns Made out of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyvalerate)

This image shows an electrospun yarn made with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) using the yarn collector. More than 10 meters of yarn can be continuously collected with the Fluidnatek technology. Not only yarns can be generated, but any type of filament can be reinforced with electrospun fibers or particles using the same collector.

Electrospun Tubular Samples with Different Inside Diameters

The Fluidnatek technology allows collection of multiple types of samples, one of them being hollow tubular structures. These types of samples are commonly used as artificial blood vessels for tissue engineering applications, or to incorporate stents with electrospun fibers. This image compares a penny with tubular scaffolds from 5, 3, 2, 1 and 0.5 mm inside diameter (right to left).

Linear Injector with 20 Simultaneous Needles

Multi-needle system of 20 simultaneous needles processing polyacrylonitrile. This image clearly shows the effect of charge repulsion on the needles at each corner. Due to charge repulsion, the electrospun jet at the edges is deflected and tends to deposit outside of the collector. This behavior is not desired, which is why the Fluidnatek technology offers field deflectors to prevent this from happening.

Linear Injector with 20 Simultaneous Needles Using Field Deflectors

This image shows the effect of field deflectors at the edges of a linear multi-needle system. Thanks to the field deflector (metal plate on the corners), the same charge applied to the needle is transferred to the edges. This allows for all electrospun jets to travel towards the collector, minimizing the loss of fibers or particles during sample collection, a crucial option when using expensive materials.

Robotic Arm with Movable Needle to Coat Non-Symmetrical Samples

Non-symmetrical, or atypical samples are commonly seen on medical devices that are implanted in the body. The Fluidnatek technology allows the implementation of a robotic arm with a movable needle with more than three axes of rotation. This gives the user the flexibility to coat complex surfaces not able to be covered with other commercially available instrumentation.

Robotic Arm with Movable Collector to Coat Challenging Samples

The Fluidnatek technology can be implemented with a robotic arm to rotate collectors with more than three axes of rotation. This allows the user to maintain the needle in one position and move the collector at different rotational speeds (200 to 2,000 rpm) along with complete freedom to rotate the robotic arm. The future of medical electrospinning to coat medical devices under clean conditions is here!

Slit Injector for Needle-Less Electrospinning and Electrospraying

Needle-less electrospinning lacks control over flow rate and solution concentration can change over time when low boiling point solvents are used. The Fluidnatek equipment offers the slit injector, an innovative needle-less technology that maintains the solution concentration the same all the time. It allows users to know the flow rate during sample processing, along with the possibility to do gas assisted processing.

Medical Device Manufacturing under Sterile and Clean Conditions

Medical electrospinning is becoming a hot topic for medical industries working with tissue engineering and medical devices. The Fluidnatek technology already offers a solution with the LE-50 ProSterile. This system allows the production of electrospun and electrosprayed samples under sterile and clean (ISO-5) conditions, along with the capability to vacuum a sample to remove possible residual solvents.

Fluidnatek Industrial Facilities for Electrospinning Production

The Bioinicia team had the first GMP facility for electrospun fiber production using the Fluidnatek technology. This image shows three of the Fluidnatek HT equipment at the Fluidnatek facilities in Valencia, Spain. This technology is used for the generation of filtration products, pure cosmetics, along with other commercially available products manufactured under ISO-13485 requirements.

Monitoring all Electrospun Parameters with the High Definition Process Data Hub

Industrial scale production requires rigorous monitoring of all processing parameters to evaluate stability over time. All Fluidnatek equipment can be implemented with the high definition process data hub where more than 20 process parameters and equipment signals are monitored. This powerful Industry 4.0 software is a unique tool for anyone looking for smart manufacturing and enhanced productivity.

Electrospun Patch for Wrinkle Correction Being Applied to the Eye Contour

This image shows the anti-wrinkle patch before the main ingredients are released onto the skin. The formula is of 100% natural origin and consists only of active ingredients hydroxytyrosol (olive extract), hyaluronic acid, pullulan and vegetable elastin. The lifting effect is achieved just 3 seconds after the main ingredients from the electrospun sample are released onto the skin. Wrinkle Correction Electrospun Sample Being Applied to the Eye Contour.

Rolls of Electrospun Material Collected on Top of a Non-Woven Substrate

With industrial scale production comes the need for large roll-to-roll substrates. This image shows three rolls of 1.6 meters in width and more than 1 meter in diameter, allowing the collection of electrospun fibers over a 24/7 process.

Polymer Solution Reservoir for Industrial Scale Electrospun Production

To scale up a process towards industrial generation it is mandatory to have a large solution reservoir that allows the equipment to process 24/7. The Fluidnatek HT allows the use of up to 60 L but with the capability to refill the reservoir once needed to allow the 24/7 production, something currently done with the HT equipment.

Multiple Linear Injectors for Industrial Electrospun Production

This image shows eleven linear multi-needle injectors inside the Fluidnatek HT for industrial scale and increased production throughput. Needle-based allows for a tight control over fiber generation by keeping the concentration of the solution the same at all times, along with properly knowing the flow rate during production, something not seen with other technologies.

Industrial Scale Needle-Based Electrospinning Equipment

Electrospinning is typically seen as a non-scalable technique as most of the scientific community uses home-built units. This image shows the Fluidnatek HT, an industrial scale electrospinning equipment currently used to generate multiple commercial products. The HT can use more than 5,000 simultaneous needles and generate products with a width of 1.6 meters over roll-to-roll capacity.

Closer Look at Super Aligned Electrospun Polyhydroxybutyrate Fibers

Close up image on the final sample of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) super aligned fibers. These fibers were collected on a rotating drum with a 10 cm diameter rotating at 1,000 rpm with the Fluidnatek LE-100. Samples with all fibers oriented around the same degree are considered super aligned. This alignment can help improve cell to proliferation as cells tend to migrate faster with aligned fibers.

Electrospun Polyhydroxybutyrate Sample Made with Random Fibers

Scaffolding material made out of randomly oriented polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) fibers made with the Fluidnatek technology. PHB is a biodegradable polymer considered eco-friendly and adaptable with multiple technologies. This polymer is typically brittle and rigid, but thanks to the electrospinning technique, material properties can be fine-tuned to make flexible and biodegradable products.

Carbonization Steps of Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers

Electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is commonly used to generate carbon nanofibers by means of carbonization under inert environment. This image shows changes in sample morphology at different stages of carbonization. Electrospun PAN, with the typical as-spun white color is shown on the left, an intermediate carbonization process is shown in the middle, and carbonized PAN is shown on the right.

Pilot Scale Production with Needle-Less Technology

This image shows the use of two 50 cm long slit injectors processing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibers with the needle-less technology. With one slit injector of 50 cm, we have observed values of 394 grams by square meter (gsm) deposited onto the roll-to-roll collector. These values can increased as the Fluidnatek technology allows up to four simultaneous slit injectors in the LE-500 equipment.

Polyacrylonitrile Electrospinning using 60 Simultaneous Needles

Image showing the collection of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun fibers onto a flat collector with a roll-to-roll system. Although only two linear injectors of 30 needles each (60 needles total) are being used for this sample, the Fluidnatek LE-500 allows the use of up to 370 needles to increase sample throughput and scale up your process.

Eight Meters of Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Fibers

One of our Nanoscience Analytical members showcasing the scale up polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun sample he achieved using the Fluidnatek LE-500. The process was scaled up from 1 to 120 needles using a roll-to-roll collector. This eight meter sample was made in under an hour with a PAN fiber diameter of 263 ± 1.4 nm.

Electrospun Gelatin Based Scaffold

Scaffolding material from electrospun fibers based out of gelatin type A from porcine skin. Gelatin is a natural polymer similar to collagen and commonly used to generate fibers based out of electrospinning due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and ease to dissolve in different solvents. Gelatin has been blended with other polymers like polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to improve mechanical properties needed for implantation.

Electrospun Scaffolds from Various Polymers

This image shows electrospun scaffolding material made from eight different polymers using the Fluidnatek technology. This fiber based samples were made from poly(L-lactide-co--caprolactone) (PLCL), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene oxide (PEO) fibers, poly(azanediyladipoylazanediylhexane-1,6-diyl) (nylon 6,6), gelatin (Gel) and polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA).

Electrospun Tubular Scaffolds

The Fluidnatek technology allows its users to generate tubular samples with inside diameter as low as 250 µm. This image shows different types of electrospun blood vessels with diameters less than 1 mm. The pore size and porosity on these samples can be fine-tuned by post-processing them with heat treatment.

Stent Covered with Polyurethane

Stents can be coated with electrospun fibers to improve their biocompatibility and resemble the in vivo environment found in the human body. This image shows a stent with an inside diameter of 1 cm coated with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). If coated properly these electrospun coated stents can withstand tears that can occur by crimping or after expanded to maintain in place during implantation.

Rotating Drum Collector

Electrospun fibers or electrosprayed particles are deposited in different collectors based on application needs. The rotating drum collector is the most popular collector as it offers the capability to fine-tune the microstructure to generate randomly oriented, semi-aligned, aligned or super aligned fibers. The Fluidnatek technology can be implemented with rotating collectors ranging from 250 µm up to 30 cm in diameter.

Electrospun Based FFP2 Filtration Mask

Proveil is an FFP2 filtration media commercially available and developed by Bioinicia using the Fluidnatek technology. It is composed of three layers with the middle active based of nanofibers containing a virucidal to inactivate viruses upon contact with the fibers. As opposed to electrostatic based filtration, these masks offer high mechanical filtration capacity thanks to their nanoscale pores and large surface area where larger particles cannot penetrate.