Microchannel Vortex Intracellular Delivery Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for intracellular material delivery, such as virus- or Lipofectamine-based carriers and nanopore creation, face issues like safety concerns, slow delivery speed, labor-intensive preparation, low reproducibility, and low cell viability, while microfluidic devices with bottleneck structures suffer from clogging and inconsistent material delivery efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A platform that generates vortices in microchannels by connecting channels at an angle, allowing a fluid containing cells and delivery materials to form collision and vortex regions, facilitating efficient and uniform material delivery into cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If virus- or Lipofectamine-based carrier techniques are used, then material delivery efficiency is improved, but safety issues and labor-intensive preparation processes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for complex carrier preparation by directly applying physical deformation through bottleneck structures to create nanopores in cell membranes, thereby removing the labor-intensive carrier preparation process while maintaining material delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical/biological carrier systems (virus- or Lipofectamine-based) with a mechanical physical deformation approach using bottleneck structures in microfluidic devices, substituting complex chemical preparation with a simpler mechanical flow-based system
2Adaptability or versatility
If electroporation or microneedle methods are used to create nanopores, then various materials can be delivered to various cells, but cell viability decreases due to invasiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies localized physical deformation at specific bottleneck regions within microfluidic channels, creating nanopores only where needed while minimizing overall cellular damage and maintaining higher cell viability compared to invasive methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the microfluidic system, specifically controlling flow rates, pressure gradients, and bottleneck dimensions, to create optimal conditions for nanopore formation that balance material delivery capability with cell viability preservation
3Productivity
If bottleneck structures are used in microchannels, then nanopores are created in cell membranes, but clogging occurs and material delivery efficiency becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the microchannel into multiple sections with strategically positioned bottleneck structures, allowing continuous flow and material delivery while preventing clogging by distributing the nanopore creation process across multiple locations rather than relying on a single bottleneck
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control of flow rates and pressure gradients through adjustable pumps and valves, enabling real-time optimization of nanopore formation and material delivery to maintain consistent efficiency while preventing clogging through controlled flow dynamics
4Force
If cells are flowed through bottleneck structures at non-uniform speed, then pressure is applied to cells, but transformation rate becomes non-constant and delivery efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic pulsing of fluid flow through the bottleneck structures, creating rhythmic pressure cycles that consistently deform cells at optimal intervals, thereby maintaining a constant transformation rate and improving delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback control mechanisms that monitor cell flow speed and pressure conditions, automatically adjusting flow rates to maintain optimal deformation conditions and ensure consistent transformation rates across all cells
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables high-efficiency delivery of various materials, including nucleic acids and nanoparticles, by creating temporary perforations in cell membranes, improving delivery speed and reproducibility while maintaining microfluidic device functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the fluid forms at least one of a collision region and a vortex region of the fluid in at least one of the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an intracellular delivery platform including: a first channel through which a fluid comprising cells and delivery materials flows, and a second channel and a third channel which are connected to the first channel at an angle and through which the fluid comprising cells and delivery materials flows, wherein the fluid forms at least one of a collision region and a vortex region of the fluid in at least one of the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel. According to the present invention, material can be effectively delivered into cells by forming a vortex in channels.