Organ-on-a-chip with Inverted Micro-weir Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug development methods, including animal and two-dimensional cell-based experiments, are time-consuming, costly, and lack accuracy due to inter-species differences and loss of cellular functionality, necessitating a more efficient drug efficacy and toxicity evaluation platform that mimics the human organ environment.
Innovation Solution
An organ-on-a-chip with an inverted micro-weir structure for culturing human cancer cells, featuring a media supply section, cell supply section, and an inverted micro-weir structure to mimic capillaries and prevent cell movement, allowing for three-dimensional cell culture and drug efficacy evaluation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If animal-based experiments are used for drug development, then drug efficacy can be evaluated, but the process is expensive, time-consuming, and ethically problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a microfluidic chip that copies the essential structural and functional characteristics of human organs at a miniaturized scale. The chip includes micro-chambers that replicate organ architecture, allowing human cells to be cultured in a three-dimensional configuration that mimics in vivo conditions, thereby enabling accurate drug efficacy evaluation without requiring animal testing
Solution Approach 2:
The organ-on-a-chip system uses disposable microfluidic devices that can be quickly manufactured and discarded after use. This approach eliminates the need for expensive, long-term animal housing and experimental facilities, significantly reducing the time and cost required for drug development while maintaining evaluation accuracy
2Ease of operation
If two-dimensional cell culture is used, then ease of handling and high throughput are achieved, but cells lose inherent functionality and evaluation accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional cell culture to three-dimensional cell culture by incorporating micro-chambers with vertical structures. Cells are cultured in a three-dimensional configuration within these micro-chambers, allowing them to maintain their inherent functionality and structural organization while still enabling easy handling and high throughput through the microfluidic system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds multiple functional components within a hierarchical structure. The microfluidic chip contains nested micro-chambers that themselves contain cells, with media channels surrounding these chambers. This nested arrangement allows complex three-dimensional cell culture while maintaining a compact, easy-to-handle overall structure that supports high throughput
3Measurement precision
If three-dimensional organ culture is implemented, then cellular functionality and evaluation accuracy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the organ culture system into discrete, modular components. The microfluidic chip is segmented into multiple independent micro-chambers, each capable of containing cells and receiving media separately. This segmentation allows complex three-dimensional cell culture to be achieved through repetition of simple units, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high evaluation accuracy
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
The organ-on-a-chip provides accurate drug efficacy evaluation by maintaining cellular functionality, reducing development costs and time, and offering a viable alternative to animal testing.
Implementation Method 1
an inverted micro-weir structure provided in an area selected from the group consisting of an adjacent area between the media channel and the cell chamber, an adjacent area between the cell chamber and the residue outlet, and a combination thereof
Implementation Method 2
cells continuously receive nutrients and oxygen through diffusion from capillaries
Implementation Method 3
The inverted micro-weir structure is provided in an adjacent area between the media channel and the cell chamber or an adjacent area between the cell chamber and the residue outlet, thereby preventing the cells from moving to the media channel or the residue outlet
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an organ-on-a-chip having a reverse micro-weir structure and uses thereof. Using the organ-on-a-chip for evaluating drug efficacy and toxicity provided by the present invention makes it possible to overcome the limitations of conventional two-dimensional in-vitro cell culture methods that cannot mimic the human microenvironment and the inaccuracies due to differences between species in animal testing, and to derive more accurate efficacy and toxicity results for cells treated with drugs. Accordingly, as the organ-on-a-chip of the present invention is used as an alternative test method to animal testing, the organ-on-a-chip can drastically reduce the cost and time required for new drug development and drug screening and can also be effectively used to conduct research on the cellular microenvironment, other organ-on-a-chips, and drug metabolism mechanisms and to develop new drugs.