Mathematical Problems in Engineering
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 694194, 13 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/694194
Research Article

Finite Element Analysis of Schwarz P Surface Pore Geometries for Tissue-Engineered Scaffolds

Jaemin Shin,1 Sungki Kim,1 Darae Jeong,1 Hyun Geun Lee,1 Dongsun Lee,1 Joong Yeon Lim,2 and Junseok Kim1

1Department of Mathematics, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Republic of Korea
2Department of Mechanical, Robotics and Energy Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715, Republic of Korea

Received 8 September 2011; Revised 28 December 2011; Accepted 6 January 2012

Academic Editor: Ezzat G. Bakhoum

Copyright © 2012 Jaemin Shin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Tissue engineering scaffolds provide temporary mechanical support for tissue regeneration. To regenerate tissues more efficiently, an ideal structure of scaffolds should have appropriate porosity and pore structure. In this paper, we generate the Schwarz primitive (P) surface with various volume fractions using a phase-field model. The phase-field model enables us to design various surface-to-volume ratio structures with high porosity and mechanical properties. Comparing the Schwarz P surface's von Mises stress with that of triply periodic cylinders and cubes, we draw conclusions about the mechanical properties of the Schwarz P surface.