Development of micro mechanical device having two-dimensional array of micro chambers for cell stretching

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Microfabrication

Background:

• Cellular responses to mechanical stress are crucial in understanding tissue development and disease.
• Existing methods for observing stretched cells often lack efficiency and high-resolution imaging capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel microfluidic device for efficient, high-quality in situ time-lapse observation of cells undergoing mechanical stretching.
• To evaluate the impact of micro-chamber thickness on imaging quality for stretched cell analysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a micro cell stretching device using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology.
• Integration of a two-dimensional array of thin micro chambers (≤5μm thickness) made from silicone elastomer and photocurable resin.
• Utilizing conventional photolithography with photoresist mold and lift-off process for micro chamber array fabrication.
• In situ time-lapse observation of stretched cells using optical microscopy.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of a micro device containing 134 thin micro chambers.
• Demonstration of in situ time-lapse observation of cell responses to stretching stimuli.
• Evaluation confirmed that thin micro chambers enhance microscope image quality for cell stretching studies.
• The device enables high-quality and efficient observation of cellular responses to mechanical stretch.

Conclusions:

• The novel MEMS-fabricated micro cell stretching device facilitates high-quality, efficient in situ time-lapse imaging of cellular responses to mechanical stimuli.
• The thin micro-chamber design is critical for optimal microscopic observation of stretched cells.
• This technology offers a valuable tool for advancing research in mechanobiology and cell dynamics.