Multi-compression tool for in vitro assessment of 3D structures

Abstract

The invention provides a system (1) comprising (i) a plurality of microfluidic arrangements (100), (ii) a pressure port (132), (iii) a pressure channel network (120), and (iv) a compensation chamber (160), wherein: (A) the plurality of microfluidic arrangements (100) comprises at least two microfluidic arrangements (100), (B) each microfluidic arrangement (100) comprises a hosting chamber (110), a pressure chamber (131), and an elastic membrane 10 (150), wherein the hosting chamber (110) is configured for hosting a respective material (10), wherein the membrane (150) is arranged between the pressure chamber (131) and the hosting chamber (110), wherein the pressure chamber (131) has a pressure chamber volume (Vp), (C) a total of the pressure chamber volumes (Vp) of each microfluidic arrangement (100) defines an overall pressure chamber volume (V…), (D) the pressure channel network (120) has at least 15 one channel network inlet (121), and at least one channel network outlet (129), wherein the at least one channel network inlet (121) connects the pressure channel network (120) to the pressure port (132) and the at least one channel network outlet (129) connects the pressure channel network (120) to the compensation chamber (160), (E) the pressure chamber (131) of each microfluidic arrangement (100) is connected to the pressure channel network (120), and 20 (F) the compensation chamber (160) has a compensation volume (Vc) selected from the range of equal to or larger than 50% of the overall pressure chamber volume (V…) - 10 times the overall pressure chamber volume (V…).