Tissue engineering microfluidic devices

Microfluidic Devices in Tissue Engineering Microfluidic Devices for Combinatorial... 

In this chapter, specific examples of different types of organ-on-a-chip devices for drug screening and tissue engineering, such as lung-on-a-chip, heart-on-a-chip, vessel-on-a-chip, liver-on-a-chip, and tumor-on-a-chip, are discussed. The working principles of those devices as well as their applications are provided. As well, basic fabrication method of microfluidics devices, and future prospects of organ-on-a-chip are discussed. 

One noteworthy trend in microfluidics is the introduction of novel materials that, conventionally, have rarely been considered as microdevice substrates. One recent example is the use of a biodegradable polymer as a base material to fabricate microdevices with embedded microfluidic networks that resembles microvas-cular systems [9], work that is helping to expand the range of applications of microfluidic devices into the field of tissue engineering. 

Microfluidic Devices in Tissue Engineering, Fig. 4 The formation of skeletal muscle tissue in vivo requires initiation of precursor cells into the myoblastic pathway. To accomplish this, alternating cell-adhesive and cell-repellent microdomains are patterned for attachment of precursor cells which mimics in vivo spatial cues... 

Microfluidic Devices in Tissue Engineering, Fig. 6 Microfluidic channels in many ways resemble the vascular network In our body. Microfluidic networks made out of degradable materials like PLGA can be used to provide a structural backbone for seeding and culture of endothelial cells with perfusion and further construction of complex 3D organ and tissue architectures. Shown are the microfluidic network and endothelial cells seeded within the network [13]... 

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