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Updated: May 31, 2026
Microfluidic Fabrication of Polymeric and Biohybrid Fibers with Predesigned Size and Shape
Published on: January 8, 2014
Fabrication of capillary-like network in a matrix of water-soluble polymer using poly(methyl methacrylate)
Takayuki Takei1, Naoya Kishihara, Hiroyuki Ijima
1Department of Chemical Engineerng, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. takei@chem-eng.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microfibers were used as a template for development of a capillary-like network in agarose hydrogel. Microfibers with diameter 10-20 μm, which is comparable to the diameter of native capillary vessels, were fabricated using a wet spinning technique. The microfibers were embedded in agarose gel and dissolved by immersing the gel in dichloromethane. The resultant microchannels in the gel had the same diameter as the microfibers, and allowed an aqueous solution to be perfused through the gel. The methodology is promising for fabricating a capillary-like network in tissue engineering scaffolds of various water-soluble polymers.
