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High Throughput Single-cell and Multiple-cell Micro-encapsulation
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A versatile microfluidic device for high throughput production of microparticles and cell microencapsulation
Samin Akbari1, Tohid Pirbodaghi, Roger D Kamm
1Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Lab on a Chip
|May 12, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed a high-throughput microfluidic platform for producing biocompatible microparticles. This innovation accelerates the development of microparticle-based therapies like drug delivery and cell transplantation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Biocompatible microparticles are crucial for drug delivery, cell transplantation, and assays.
- Clinical translation is hindered by the lack of high-throughput methods for controlled microparticle production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a microfluidic platform for high-throughput production of homogeneous microparticles.
- To demonstrate the platform's capability for controlled microparticle synthesis and cell microencapsulation.
Main Methods:
- Development of a robust microfluidic device for microdroplet generation.
- Achieved microdroplet generation frequency up to 3.1 MHz.
- Utilized various crosslinking mechanisms for microparticle formation.
Main Results:
- Produced relatively homogeneous microdroplets at a significantly higher frequency than conventional methods.
- Successfully created biocompatible microparticles using diverse crosslinking strategies.
- Demonstrated efficient cell microencapsulation with high cell viability.
Conclusions:
- The microfluidic platform offers a high-throughput solution for producing controlled biocompatible microparticles.
- This technology can overcome current limitations in microparticle manufacturing for biomedical applications.
- Enables advancements in drug delivery, cell therapy, and diagnostics.
