Microfluidic Organ-on-Chip Device with Segmented Inlet Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Organ-on-Chip (OOC) devices fail to create a fully representative model of human organs due to material limitations, leading to issues such as small molecule absorption, high oxygen diffusion, and non-physiologically representative dissolved gas concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic device with a vertically stacked design, featuring overlapping top and bottom channels separated by a membrane, which includes dedicated inlet ports for cell seeding and fluid flow, reducing the area not overlapping between channels and enhancing cell barrier formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cells are seeded through a common inlet port at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bottom channel, then fluid flow can be established, but the inlet channel becomes excessively long causing cell wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the inlet function into two separate ports: a first inlet port for cell seeding and a second inlet port for fluid flow. This segmentation eliminates the need for an excessively long angled inlet channel, as cells can be seeded directly through the first inlet port into the overlapping region, preventing cell wastage while maintaining proper fluid flow through the second inlet port.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by stacking the top channel and bottom channel in overlapping alignment, with cells seeding into the overlapping region from above. This dimensional change allows cells to be delivered directly to the functional region without traversing a long horizontal inlet channel, thereby reducing cell wastage.
2Ease of operation
If the bottom channel inlet port is positioned far from the longitudinal center to allow fluid flow, then fluid communication is established, but the channel length increases reducing overlap efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the cell seeding function and fluid flow function into different inlet ports positioned at different locations. The first inlet port is positioned to optimize cell delivery to the overlapping region, while the second inlet port is positioned to optimize fluid flow, allowing both functions to be performed efficiently without compromising the overlapping area.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom channel is designed to receive both cell seeding and fluid flow through different inlet ports, making it a multi-functional channel. This universality allows the channel to fulfill both cell delivery and fluid flow requirements without requiring a single compromised inlet position.
3Ease of manufacture
If current OOC devices use conventional materials, then device fabrication is simplified, but small molecule absorption and high oxygen diffusion occur leading to non-physiologically representative conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting materials with specific properties: low small molecule absorption and controlled oxygen diffusion rates. This parameter change ensures that the device maintains physiologically representative dissolved gas concentrations and small molecule levels, improving the reliability of the organ model while still allowing for practical fabrication.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a microfluidic device for simulating organ functions. The microfluidic device comprising a top plate, a bottom plate and a membrane. The top plate comprising a top channel arranged on a first surface of the top plate. The bottom plate comprising a bottom channel arranged on a first surface of the bottom plate, wherein the top channel is overlapping the bottom channel over an entire length of the top channel. The first surface of the top plate and the first surface of the bottom plate are facing each other. The membrane being arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate so that the top channel and the bottom channel are separated by the membrane. The top plate comprises a top channel inlet port being in fluid communication with the top channel. The top plate comprises a first bottom channel inlet port and a second bottom channel inlet port both being in fluid communication with the bottom channel, wherein the second bottom channel inlet port is arranged further from a longitudinal center of the bottom channel than the first bottom channel inlet port.