Microfluidic Tissue Barrier Insert for Bubble-Free 3D Cell Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microfluidic devices face challenges in forming accurate 3D tissue barriers due to drug or protein adsorption on PDMS surfaces, bubble formation during liquid injection, and difficulty in automating the injection process, which hinders their application in drug development and toxicity assessment.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic device with a detachable insert, base, and porous membrane structure that allows for the injection of cells and hydrogels without bubble formation, enabling 3D-3D tissue barrier formation and automation through mechanical control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PDMS microchannels are used for cell culture, then tissue barrier formation is enabled, but drug or protein adsorption occurs on the PDMS surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the PDMS material from direct contact with the culture medium by extracting it from the fluid pathway. A glass capillary is inserted into the PDMS microchannel, creating a separate fluid pathway that eliminates adsorption while preserving the microchannel's structural function for tissue barrier formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The glass capillary acts as an intermediary component between the PDMS microchannel and the culture medium. It transfers fluids through the PDMS channel without allowing direct contact between the medium and PDMS surface, thus preventing drug or protein adsorption while maintaining tissue barrier functionality.
2Ease of operation
If liquid injection is performed through microchannel inlets, then cell culture is enabled, but bubble formation occurs due to friction with the microchannel surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the injection function from the PDMS microchannel inlet by using a glass capillary that extends beyond the PDMS channel. This allows liquid injection to occur outside the microchannel, eliminating friction-induced bubble formation while still enabling cell culture delivery to the desired location.
3Reliability
If air bubbles enter the microchannels during injection, then cell viability is reduced, but automation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The glass capillary serves as an intermediary injection conduit that separates the injection process from the microchannel system. This design allows automated injection devices to deliver liquids without direct interaction with the microchannel, preventing air bubble ingress and protecting cell viability while enabling automation.
4Manufacturing precision
If high-viscosity hydrogels are injected through microchannels, then 3D tissue structure formation is enabled, but injection control requires greater expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hydrogel injection process from the constrained PDMS microchannel environment by using a glass capillary extension. This provides a larger, more accessible injection pathway that accommodates high-viscosity hydrogels, enabling 3D tissue structure formation while simplifying injection rate control and reducing the expertise required for operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a microfluidic device for mimicking the structure and function of an in vivo tissue barrier. Specifically, the present invention relates to a microfluidic device which replaces an animal model by mimicking the structure and function of a 2D-3D connective tissue barrier, a 3D tissue barrier, and a 3D-3D tissue barrier, and thus may be used as a model for new drug development and toxicity assessment, a method for culturing cells in the microfluidic device, and a method for mimicking an organ or a tissue using the microfluidic device.