Date of Award

12-24-2025

Date Published

January 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering

Advisor(s)

Pranav Soman

Second Advisor

Anupam Pandey

Abstract

One of the major challenges in the field of 3D printing is reconciling the inherent trade-off between print area and resolution. High resolution techniques are essential for replicating microscale features of native tissue, but they are typically constrained to relatively small build areas. Conversely, methods that enable larger print areas often sacrifice the precision needed to capture fine hierarchical details critical to mimicking physiologically relevant structures. Though alternative methods are being widely explored in the field, it remains difficult to find a single cost-effective method that is able to realize high-resolution features at a clinically relevant scale. This work presents two new multiscale 3D printing approaches which address this challenge from two completely independent perspectives. Chapter 1 provides an introduction towards the need for multiscale manufacturing in biotechnology. Chapter 2 presents a new printing method deemed Multiscale Projection Stereolithography (MPS) in which a single printer with two independent optical paths automatically switches between high-resolution and low-resolution modes to generate centimeter-sized constructs. Chapter 3 introduces another new method for creating multiscale constructs through macroscale assembly of smaller individually 3D printed sub-units, each bearing vascular-like architectural features, into a single large perfusable construct. Chapter 4 is a summary of the completed work. Lastly, Chapter 5 discusses future directions for the integration of different cell types into the macroscale model and key metrics for evaluation of cell viability and long-term sustainability of the model.

Access

Open Access

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Available for download on Sunday, January 16, 2028

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