Journal: Cells

Article Title: A Microfluidic Flip-Chip Combining Hydrodynamic Trapping and Gravitational Sedimentation for Cell Pairing and Fusion

doi: 10.3390/cells10112855

Figure Lengend Snippet: Illustration of Microfluidic Flip-Chip ( A ) Image shows the fabricated MFC using a soft lithography process along with the illustration. ( B ) A graphic illustration of the MFC shows the three-layered structure with PDMS channels as the top layer, through-hole membrane as the middle layer, and titanium electrodes as the third bottom layer. ( C ) The parameters affecting chip performance—the PDMS membrane thickness (t m ), the diameter of fusion well (d w ), the distance between adjacent wells (d aw ), the distance between electrodes (d), and the distance between adjacent electrodes (d ae ) are as shown. Scale bar: 200 µm.

Article Snippet: COMSOL Multiphysics simulations of microfluidic channels, Figure S3.

Techniques: Membrane

Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials

Article Title: Environmentally Controlled Microfluidic System Enabling Immune Cell Flow and Activation in an Endothelialised Skin‐On‐Chip

doi: 10.1002/adhm.202400750

Figure Lengend Snippet: Schematic diagram of the microfluidic multi‐well adaptor (MMA) construct. A) Main manifold connecting (a2) external fluidic routing tubes for medium perfusion and allowing light transmission through (a1) the traversing round apertures. B) Biocompatible double‐side adhesive tape layer (142 µm‐thick) with through holes allowing (b2) fluidic routing and (b1) light transmission from (A) to (C). C) High transparency and auto‐fluorescence‐free (188 µm‐thick) COP layer with through holes allowing fluidic routing (c2) from (B) to (D). D) Biocompatible double‐side adhesive tape layer (142 µm‐thick) with patterned microfluidic channels (500 µm‐wide) allowing fluidic routing to the manifold (E) and between different wells (d2). (D) contains through holes for light transmission (d1) from (C) to (E). E) Manifold with through holes (e2) and nozzles (e4) allowing fluidic routing from (A) to a standard 6‐well plate (6MWP). Part (E) presents optical apertures (e1) allowing the transmission of light from a microscope to the biological sample once routed through (A), (B), (C), and (D). Part (E) has also assembled toroidal O‐rings (e5) guaranteeing the sealing, while assembled to the 6MWP, of the overall structure to external factors, such as contamination or gas environment. All parts have some extra features (b3, c3, d3, e3) to allow alignment of the multiple layers and to ease the assembling of the MMA.

Article Snippet: A device with microfluidic channels was specifically designed, developed, and constructed based on patented technologies (Cherry Biotech, US11643632B2, FR3094012B1, and EP3712244A1).

Techniques: Construct, Transmission Assay, Adhesive, Fluorescence, Microscopy

Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials

Article Title: Environmentally Controlled Microfluidic System Enabling Immune Cell Flow and Activation in an Endothelialised Skin‐On‐Chip

doi: 10.1002/adhm.202400750

Figure Lengend Snippet: Assembly of the complete skin‐on‐chip (SoC) microfluidic device and flow characterization during perfusion. A) Expanded view of the MMA‐6MWP assembly including the MMA, the transwell cell culture insert, containing the RhS, and the 6MWP. B) Complete internal fluidic sealed structure of the myeloid cell‐complemented SoC model. The MMA connects three wells in a series. The direction of flow is indicated with dashed arrows. It is designed to maintain a very low volume of media in the entering well of the 6MWP holding circulating immune cells (“immune cell reservoir”). The second well connected to the previous one contains the RhS (“tissue reservoir”) and is designed to allow the flowed medium to contact only the EC layer at the bottom of the transwell insert. The third well works as a medium collector (“collection reservoir”). Excess medium is collected into an Erlenmeyer flask (“collection flask”). At the end of each experiment, the RhS and the flowed media can be recovered by opening the assembly. Created with BioRender.com. C) Modelled WSS at the transwell membrane: when applying a flow of 150 µL min −1 , WSS values range between 2.95 × 10 −4 Pa and 1.63 × 10 −3 Pa, lower than those reported for human blood vessels in literature. D) Modelled Reynolds number at 1 µm under the transwell membrane when applying a 150 µL min −1 flow. Values range between 3.85 × 10 −6 and 2.36 × 10 −5 (laminarity regime under membrane). E) Heating holder of the assembled SoC MMA‐6WMP. F) Cross‐section of the heating holder that shows the MMA‐6MWP‐holder ensemble. A custom‐made polyamide heater integrated into the base of an aluminum plate warms the MMA‐6MWP ensemble, which has been designed to be compatible with real‐time imaging using a Leica DMi8 Inverted stage. G) Temperature calibration of the system was carried out by placing temperature probes (JTs) in three coaxial regions of three different wells near to the transwell membrane. The results allowed to assess H) zonal and I) mean weighted temperature of the culture medium to guarantee appropriate calibration of the temperatures set by the controlling unit.

Article Snippet: A device with microfluidic channels was specifically designed, developed, and constructed based on patented technologies (Cherry Biotech, US11643632B2, FR3094012B1, and EP3712244A1).

Techniques: Cell Culture, Membrane, Imaging

Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials

Article Title: Environmentally Controlled Microfluidic System Enabling Immune Cell Flow and Activation in an Endothelialised Skin‐On‐Chip

doi: 10.1002/adhm.202400750

Figure Lengend Snippet: Complete MPS platform prototype (CubiX MVP2C) controlling the gaseous environment (percentages of CO , N , and O ), the perfusion (flow rate), and the heating (temperature) of the myeloid cell‐complemented SoC without the need for an external incubator. A detail of the constructed multi‐well microfluidic adaptor (MMA) is presented in the top‐right of the figure. Medium circulates from the pressurized medium bottle to the “collection flask” via the MMA as depicted by the black dashed arrows. The main components of the CubiX‐MMA‐6MWP‐heater system described in Figures and are labeled in white boxes.

Article Snippet: A device with microfluidic channels was specifically designed, developed, and constructed based on patented technologies (Cherry Biotech, US11643632B2, FR3094012B1, and EP3712244A1).

Techniques: Construct, Labeling