Adding the 'heart' to hanging drop networks for microphysiological multi-tissue experiments.

ABSTRACT: Microfluidic hanging-drop networks enable culturing and analysis of 3D microtissue spheroids derived from different cell types under controlled perfusion and investigating inter-tissue communication in multi-tissue formats. In this paper we introduce a compact on-chip pumping approach for flow control in hanging-drop networks. The pump includes one pneumatic chamber located directly above one of the hanging drops and uses the surface tension at the liquid-air-interface for flow actuation. Control of the pneumatic protocol provides a wide range of unidirectional pulsatile and continuous flow profiles. With the proposed concept several independent hanging-drop networks can be operated in parallel with only one single pneumatic actuation line at high fidelity. Closed-loop medium circulation b

SUBMITTER: Rismani Yazdi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5424877 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature