Vascular Chip Overview
A microfluidic vascular chip is a miniature device that mimics the human vascular system in vitro and usually consists of a microfluidic chip, a cell culture device, and a microimaging device.
The basic principle is to inject fluids composed of cells and biomolecules into the chip through microfluidic channels, and use microfluidic technology to control the flow and pressure of the fluids so as to mimic the physiological state and biological response of the human vascular system.
Microfluidic vascular microarrays can be used to study the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, drug screening and optimization of therapeutic regimens.
Compared with traditional in vitro experiments and animal experiments, microfluidic vascular microarrays have higher experimental efficiency, lower cost, and better controllability, and at the same time can more accurately simulate the physiological and pathological states of the human vascular system.
In recent years, microfluidic vascular microarrays have been widely used and researched, including the study of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, the screening of cardiovascular drugs, and the evaluation of biomaterial biocompatibility.
It can also be used to study basic biological questions such as the onset and development of vascular morphology, inflammatory responses and angiogenesis.
Experimental Methods for Vascular Microarrays
Experimental methods for microfluidic vascular microarrays typically include the following steps:
- Design and preparation of microfluidic chip: design and preparation of microfluidic chip according to the experimental needs, including micro flow channel and control system. Commonly used materials include PDMS, glass, polycarbonate and so on.
- Cell culture and pre-treatment: Target cells are selected for cell culture and pre-treatment. Substances such as chemicals or cytokines can be used to modulate the cell state and function to adapt to the microenvironment within the chip.
- Chip Assembly and Connection: Assembling the microfluidic chip and fluid control system together and connecting it to external pumps and pressure control devices.
- Fluid Experiment: Culture fluid containing cells and biomolecules is injected into the chip through a pump, and microfluidics is used to regulate the flow rate and pressure of the fluid to simulate the physiological state and biological response of the human vascular system.
- Imaging and data analysis: Use microscopic imaging techniques to observe and record the behavior of cells and biomolecules in the chip, such as the morphology and movement trajectory of cells, expression and distribution of biomolecules. The data are analyzed to draw experimental results and conclusions.
It is important to note that experimental methods for microfluidic vascular microarrays can vary depending on the specific experimental design and research objectives. For example, the use of different cell types and biomolecules, different fluid flow rates and pressure control methods may affect the experimental results.
Recent advances in vascular microarrays
As an in vitro bionic model, microfluidic vascular chip has a wide range of prospects for application in drug screening, disease simulation, biological research and other fields. The following are some of the latest research progress and development directions of microfluidic vascular microarrays:
- 3D Microfluidic Chip Technology: Traditional 2D microfluidic chips are unable to simulate the three-dimensional structure and function of real blood vessels. 3D microfluidic chip technology can create a three-dimensional structure similar to that of real blood vessels within the chip and provide a more realistic intravascular environment, allowing cells and molecules within the blood vessels to more realistically mimic the physiological and pathological conditions.
- Artificial intelligence-assisted design and optimization: Combined with artificial intelligence technology, the optimal microfluidic chip design can be quickly screened and the fluid control system within the microfluidic chip can be optimized. This can greatly improve the performance and efficiency of the microfluidic chip and shorten the research time and cost.
- Chips coupled with multiple cell types: conventional microfluidic chips are mostly of single cell type, but in reality, cellular interactions are crucial for physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, new microfluidic vascular microarray studies are increasingly coupling multiple cell types (e.g., endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, platelets, etc.) into the chip to better mimic the real physiological environment.
- Combined imaging technology: Microfluidic chip combined with various imaging technologies, such as fluorescence microscope, confocal microscope, etc., can be used to observe the activities of cells and molecular signals inside the chip in real time, so as to obtain more accurate experimental results.
- Online detection technology: With the expansion of microfluidic chip applications, the experimental process is required to be more and more intelligent and automated. Therefore, online detection technology is a development trend. Online detection technology can monitor the parameters such as fluid and cells inside the chip in real time, control the precise delivery of fluid, and thus more accurately simulate the physiological and pathological state of the human vascular system.
Recommended Literature Reading for Vascular Microarrays
Below are several references and summaries of recent research on microfluidic vascular microarrays:
- "A 3D-printed perfusion chamber for high-resolution imaging of live endothelial cells on a microfluidic chip" (2020). This article reports on a novel 3D-printed microfluidic chip that creates a high-resolution endothelial cell growth environment within the chip and allows for real-time monitoring of endothelial cell growth, migration, and signaling pathways through high-definition microscopy. This chip could be used for the assessment of cardiovascular diseases and drug screening.
- "Vascularized Liver Microphysiological System" (2018). This article reports a liver microphysiological system with a microvascular structure, in which hepatocytes and endothelial cells are coupled to each side of the chip, and blood flow is controlled by microfluidics to mimic the physiological state of the human vascular system. The system can be used to simulate liver drug metabolism and toxicity testing, among others.
- "Endothelial Cell and Platelet Microparticles in Hemostasis and Thrombosis" (2020). This review article discusses the application of microfluidic vascular microarrays in areas such as thrombosis and hemostatic mechanisms. Microfluidic microarrays can mimic the blood flow state and microenvironment in the human body, assess the activity and function of endothelial cells and platelets, and provide a reference for drug development and clinical treatment.
- "A biomimetic microfluidic chip to study the effect of blood flow on endothelial cells" (2019). This article reports on a biomimetic microfluidic chip that can mimic different blood flow states and flow rates and monitor endothelial cell growth, migration, and signaling pathways in real time via microfluidics. The chip can be used to study cardiovascular diseases and drug screening.
These latest studies show that microfluidic vascular chips have a wide range of applications in biomedical research, drug screening and disease simulation. Through continuous development and optimization of microfluidic chip technology, it is believed that in the near future, microfluidic chips will become a very useful bionic model that can better simulate the physiological and pathological environment of the human body.
Organ-on-a-chip model
Cell migration microarrays to study cell-to-cell interactions and the effects of perfusion versus diffusion-based, real-time analysis of experiments with all cell populations, Cell migration microarrays are designed to mimic the formation and transport of tight and gap junctions (e.g., the blood-brain barrier and other endothelial/tissue interfaces), and are available with a wide range of choices in channel sizes, tissue compartment sizes, and scaffolds, as well as barrier designs.
Slit Barrier or Pillar Barrier Options
Slit Barrier: This device utilizes slits spaced at regular intervals to form a barrier area between the outer and inner chambers.
Available standard design parameters include:
- Outer Channel Width (OC): 100 μm or 200 μm
- Stroke width (T): 50 μm or 100 μm
- Slit Spacing (SS): 50 µm or 100 µm
- Slit width (WS): 5um, variable
DXFLUIDICS
Dxfluidics is a specialized enterprise dedicated to customizing various microfluidic organ chips. With a highly skilled and experienced processing team, we offer one-stop organ chip processing services for our clients. The company is committed to providing high-quality, high-performance biochip products for the fields of biomedicine, biomedicine, bio-detection, cell culture, and more.
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