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US 12,064,759 B2Granted
Microfluidic device with embedded cell culture chambers for high throughput biological assays
AssigneesNUtech Ventures, University of Connecticut
InventorsRuiguo Yang, Arian Jaberi, Amir Monemian Esfahani, Ali Tamayol
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Microfluidic gradient generators that can create robust platforms that can not only be used for creating co-cultures of cells with various ratios, but also can simultaneously generate gradients of mechanical and chemical stresses. A chip utilizes microchambers embedded within channels to provide space for 3D cell culture and exposes these cells to gradients of mechanical shear stress and a chemical treatment.
Claims17
A microfluidic gradient generator system, comprising:
- a substrate comprising a plurality of microchannels and a plurality of microchambers formed therein, and
- a plurality of fluids comprising a first fluid and a second fluid,
- the substrate including a plurality of inlets and an outlet,
- each of the plurality of microchambers including a first end and a second end and permitting fluid to flow from the first end to the second end,
- the plurality of microchambers being arranged on the substrate in a plurality of rows between the plurality of inlets and the outlet, each row of the plurality of rows comprising a subset of the plurality of microchambers, and
- a number of the microchambers in each of the plurality of rows increasing from the inlet to the outlet,
- at least one of the first end or the second end of each of the plurality of microchambers being coupled to at least one of the plurality of microchannels,
- each of the plurality of microchannels and each of the plurality of microchambers being fluidly coupled to the plurality of inlets and the outlet such that fluids containing materials that are introduced at the inlet flow through at least one of the plurality of microchannels and at least one of the plurality of microchambers to the outlet,
- the plurality of microchannels and the plurality of microchambers on the substrate forming a gradient of the materials within the fluid,
- the materials comprising a first material and a second material,
- the plurality of inlets comprising a first inlet and a second inlet,
- the first fluid including the first material being introduced at a first flow rate into the first inlet of the plurality of inlets,
- the second fluid including the second material being introduced at a second flow rate into the second inlet of the plurality of inlets, and
- the gradient comprising a first gradient of the first material and a second gradient of the second material.
11 more elements
A method for generating a microfluidic gradient, comprising:
- providing a plurality of fluids comprising a first fluid and a second fluid;
- providing a substrate comprising a plurality of microchannels and a plurality of microchambers formed therein,
- the substrate including a plurality of inlets and an outlet, the plurality of inlets comprising a first inlet and a second inlet,
- each of the plurality of microchambers including a first end and a second end and permitting fluid to flow from the first end to the second end,
- the plurality of microchambers being arranged on the substrate in a plurality of rows between the plurality of inlets and the outlet, each row of the plurality of rows comprising a subset of the plurality of microchambers, and
- a number of the microchambers in each of the plurality of rows increasing from the inlet to the outlet,
- at least one of the first end or the second end of each of the plurality of microchambers being coupled to at least one of the plurality of microchannels, and
- each of the plurality of microchannels and each of the plurality of microchambers being fluidly coupled to the plurality of inlets and the outlet;
- introducing fluids containing materials at the plurality of inlets such that the fluids flow through at least one of the plurality of microchannels and at least one of the plurality of microchambers to the outlet,
- the materials comprising a first material and a second material,
- introducing the fluids comprising:
- introducing the first fluid including the first material at a first flow rate into the first inlet of the plurality of inlets, and
- introducing the second fluid including the second material at a second flow rate into the second inlet of the plurality of inlets;
- and
- forming a gradient of the materials within the fluids within the plurality of microchannels and the plurality of microchambers on the substrate,
- the gradient comprising a first gradient of the first material and a second gradient of the second material.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.