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Configurable microfluidic platform for investigating therapeutic delivery from biomedical device coatings
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Lab on a Chip
|September 5, 2017
Summary
A new microfluidic platform enables real-time analysis of therapeutic coatings on biomedical devices. This tool accelerates the development of drug-eluting implants by simulating physiological conditions for release studies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Advanced biomedical device coatings are crucial for therapeutic delivery in various medical applications.
- Existing methods for analyzing coating performance lack the necessary temporal resolution and physiological relevance.
- Accelerating the development of effective coatings requires innovative tools for studying drug loading and release kinetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel microfluidic platform for investigating the release kinetics of therapeutics from biomedical device coatings.
- To enable real-time monitoring of drug release under physiologically relevant conditions.
- To provide a versatile tool for the development and optimization of advanced coating technologies.
Main Methods:
- A microfluidic platform was designed to accommodate coated substrates within microchannels.
- Two physiologically relevant modes were implemented: flow-mode (simulating drug-eluting stents) and static-mode (simulating drug-eluting brain implants).
- Fluorescein-loaded nanoporous gold coatings were tested, with release kinetics monitored in real-time using fluorescence microscopy and a LabVIEW interface under varying conditions (liquid flow and gel-filled channel).
Main Results:
- The microfluidic platform successfully monitored the real-time release kinetics of fluorescein from a nanoporous gold coating.
- The platform demonstrated its capability to simulate distinct physiological conditions, including fluidic flow and gel-encapsulated environments.
- High temporal resolution data on drug release was obtained, facilitating detailed kinetic analysis.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic platform is a valuable tool for accelerating the research and development of advanced biomedical device coatings.
- This platform allows for precise, real-time characterization of therapeutic release under simulated physiological conditions.
- The study highlights the potential of microfluidics to advance drug delivery systems for improved medical interventions.
