SIMPoly: A Matlab-Based Image Analysis Tool to Measure Electrospun Polymer Scaffold Fiber Diameter

Quantifying fiber diameter is important for characterizing electrospun polymer scaffolds. Many researchers use manual measurement methods, which can be time-consuming and variable. Semi-automated tools exist, but there is room for improvement. The current work used Matlab to develop an image analysis program to quickly and consistently measure fiber diameter in scanning electron micrographs. The new Matlab method, termed “SIMPoly” (Semiautomated Image Measurements of Polymers) was validated by using synthetic images with known fiber size and was found to be accurate. The Matlab method was also applied by three different researchers to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). Results were compared with the semi-automated DiameterJ method and a manual ImageJ measurement approach, and it was found that the Matlab-based SIMPoly method provided measurements in the expected range and with the least variability between researchers. In conclusion, this work provides and describes SIMPoly, a Matlab-based image analysis method that can simply and accurately measure polymer fiber diameters in SEM images with minimal variation between users. IMPACT STATEMENT: This article describes Semiautomated Image Measurements of Polymers (SIMPoly), a novel image analysis tool for measuring polymer fiber diameter in scanning electron micrographs of electrospun scaffolds. The Matlab-based SIMPoly method developed is a semi-automated tool that is quick, easy to use, and absent of significant user bias. This tool can be used to accurately measure electrospun polymer fiber diameters, an important characteristic for characterizing tissue-engineered scaffolds.