User-friendly microfluidic manufacturing of hydrogel microspheres with sharp needle.
Lei Shao1,2,3, Bingchu Pan4, Ruxia Hou3,5
1Research Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, People's Republic of China.
Biofabrication
|February 22, 2022
Summary
A new user-friendly microfluidic device creates uniform gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogel microspheres using replaceable sharp needles. This method enables easy fabrication of complex microspheres and supports cell growth, offering potential for tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Microfluidics
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Hydrogel microspheres are vital for 3D cell culture, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.
- Traditional manufacturing methods suffer from limitations like size inconsistency, cell damage, and complex equipment requirements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a user-friendly microfluidic device for fabricating uniform and tunable hydrogel microspheres.
- To demonstrate the versatility of the device for creating heterogeneous microspheres and assess cell viability and behavior within them.
Main Methods:
- A microfluidic device was designed using a sharp needle within a silicone tube, employing shear stress for droplet formation.
- Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) solution and paraffin oil were used, with *in situ* photo-crosslinking to form hydrogel microspheres.
- The device was modified to produce Janus, core-shell, and hollow microspheres, and cell-laden microspheres were cultured.
Main Results:
- Uniform and size-adjustable GelMA hydrogel microspheres were successfully generated.
- The method allowed for the facile fabrication of heterogeneous microsphere architectures.
- Cell-laden microspheres exhibited *in vivo*-like cell stretching and interaction, indicating high bioactivity and potential for co-culture and tissue construct fabrication.
Conclusions:
- The developed user-friendly microfluidic device offers a convenient and versatile method for hydrogel microsphere production.
- The GelMA microspheres support cell viability and function, showing promise for advanced applications in regenerative medicine and biofabrication.
