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A Microfluidic Device with Groove Patterns for Studying Cellular Behavior
Published on: August 30, 2007
Responsive microgrooves for the formation of harvestable tissue constructs.
Halil Tekin1, Gozde Ozaydin-Ince, Tonia Tsinman
1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|April 1, 2011
Summary
This study demonstrates a new method for coating poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microgrooves with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm). This coating enables temperature-controlled retrieval of 3D cell culture tissue constructs for tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is crucial for 3D cell culture devices due to its biocompatibility and gas permeability.
- Conformal chemical functionalization of complex PDMS microdevices remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for conformal coating of PDMS microgrooves with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm).
- To utilize the temperature-responsive properties of PNIPAAm for controlled retrieval of 3D cell-guided tissue constructs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) for conformal PNIPAAm coating of PDMS microgrooves.
- Investigated the temperature-dependent swelling and hydrophilicity changes of PNIPAAm films.
- Guided NIH-3T3 fibroblast formation into tissue constructs within the microgrooves.
Main Results:
- PNIPAAm films exhibited approximately 3 times greater thickness at 24 °C compared to 37 °C.
- PNIPAAm-coated surfaces showed increased hydrophilicity at 24 °C (contact angle 30°) versus 37 °C (contact angle 50°).
- Temperature-responsive swelling and hydrophilicity changes facilitated the retrieval of uniform-sized tissue constructs.
Conclusions:
- PNIPAAm-coated PDMS microgrooves offer a viable platform for fabricating and retrieving 3D cell aggregates.
- This approach integrates standard microfabrication with responsive materials for advanced tissue engineering and drug discovery applications.
