TY - JOUR
T1 - PorMe
T2 - A validated open-source image-based pore size and porosity measurement tool for 3D-printed structures
AU - Contreras Raggio, José I.
AU - Pardo, Miguel
AU - Weisse, Bernhard
AU - Vivanco, Juan F.
AU - Aiyangar, Ameet K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - The paper presents a non-destructive image analysis tool for characterizing in situ the inner micro-architectural features of 3D-printed scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. The study aims to provide a high throughput method for assessing geometrical porous and fiber-based properties such as fiber diameter, orientation, pore size, and porosity. Through this study, an open-source image-based software has been created that uses images acquired in each vertical plane during the printing process. The images are automatically added one above the other and thus a series of three-dimensional geometric properties of the printed structures are analyzed. The method was validated by using 3D-cilindrical scaffolds of 10 mm diameter and 17 mm height, with pore size around 400 µm and porosity range of 40–60 %. It was demonstrated a high porosity prediction and homogeneous inner architecture between our current method, Archimedes-derived porosity, and a high standard microCT-based 3D analysis. This work also details the steps of the porosity measurement (PorMe) algorithm, which involves image acquisition, segmentation, invalid pore determination, pore size calculation, and porosity determination in a high-throughput and non-destructive manner.In
AB - The paper presents a non-destructive image analysis tool for characterizing in situ the inner micro-architectural features of 3D-printed scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. The study aims to provide a high throughput method for assessing geometrical porous and fiber-based properties such as fiber diameter, orientation, pore size, and porosity. Through this study, an open-source image-based software has been created that uses images acquired in each vertical plane during the printing process. The images are automatically added one above the other and thus a series of three-dimensional geometric properties of the printed structures are analyzed. The method was validated by using 3D-cilindrical scaffolds of 10 mm diameter and 17 mm height, with pore size around 400 µm and porosity range of 40–60 %. It was demonstrated a high porosity prediction and homogeneous inner architecture between our current method, Archimedes-derived porosity, and a high standard microCT-based 3D analysis. This work also details the steps of the porosity measurement (PorMe) algorithm, which involves image acquisition, segmentation, invalid pore determination, pore size calculation, and porosity determination in a high-throughput and non-destructive manner.In
KW - Additive manufacturing
KW - Bioglass
KW - Composite bio-scaffolds
KW - Direct ink writing
KW - Image analysis
KW - Polycaprolactone (PCL)
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105020594315
U2 - 10.1016/j.mex.2025.103611
DO - 10.1016/j.mex.2025.103611
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105020594315
SN - 2215-0161
VL - 15
JO - MethodsX
JF - MethodsX
M1 - 103611
ER -