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Updated: Aug 3, 2026
Micropatterning and Assembly of 3D Microvessels
Published on: September 9, 2016
Elastomeric free-form blood vessels for interconnecting organs on chip systems
Weijia Zhang1, Yu Shrike Zhang2, Syeda Mahwish Bakht3
1Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. alik@bwh.harvard.edu and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA and Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, PR China.
Researchers developed novel hollow polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tubes to create biomimetic blood vessels for organ-on-a-chip systems. These flexible vascular modules improve integration and reduce waste in microfluidic circuitry.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Microfluidics
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Conventional organ-on-a-chip vascular models use bulk polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in microchannels.
- These models lack flexibility and require external connectors, leading to fluidic waste and integration challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, free-form vascular module using hollow PDMS tubes.
- To create biomimetic blood vessels that can seamlessly integrate multiple organ-on-a-chip modules.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of hollow PDMS tubes using metal rods or airflow as inner templates.
- Functionalization of inner tube surfaces with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).
- Assessment of endothelial cell biofunctionality through biomarker expression and compound response.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated hollow PDMS tubes with tunable diameters and wall thicknesses.
- Demonstrated endothelialization with CD31 expression and functional responses (von Willebrand factor, nitric oxide).
- Highlighted advantages: optical transparency, gas permeability, and tunable elasticity.
Conclusions:
- Developed elastomeric, biomimetic blood vessels from hollow PDMS tubes.
- These modules offer superior integration capabilities for multi-organ microfluidic systems.
- Potential to replace conventional tubing and supplement existing vascular organoids.
