Systems and methods for modeling veins and associated blood vessel components
AssigneeThe Texas A&M University System
InventorsAbhishek Jain, Navaneeth Krishna Rajeeva Pandian
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Abstract
A microfluidic chip for modelling flow through a vein includes a body including a microchannel extending between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein at least a portion of the microchannel is coated with endothelial cells that form vascular lumen, and a venous valve formed in the body and positioned along the microchannel, wherein the venous valve includes a pair of leaflets defining a pair of cusps of the venous valve, and a flow channel positioned between the leaflets.
Claims20
A microfluidic chip for modelling flow through a vein, comprising:
- an artificially fabricated body comprising a microchannel extending between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein at least a portion of the microchannel is coated with endothelial cells that form vascular lumen;
- and
- a venous valve formed in the artificially fabricated body and positioned along the microchannel, wherein the venous valve comprises a pair of leaflets defining a pair of cusps of the venous valve, and a flow channel positioned between the leaflets.
A method of forming a microfluidic chip for modelling flow through a vein, comprising:
- (a) forming a microchannel and a venous valve positioned along the microchannel in a master mold, wherein the venous valve comprises a pair of leaflets defining a pair of cusps of the venous valve, and a flow channel positioned between the leaflets;
- and
- (b) coating at least a portion of the microchannel with endothelial cells that form vascular lumen.
A microfluidic chip for modelling flow through a vein, comprising:
- an artificially fabricated body having a central axis and a fluid channel extending between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet formed in the artificially fabricated body, wherein the fluid channel is defined by a pair of channel walls, and wherein at least a portion of the fluid channel is coated with endothelial cells that form vascular lumen;
- wherein a first venous valve is formed in the artificially fabricated body and positioned along the fluid channel, the first venous valve comprising a pair of leaflets defining a pair of cusps of the first venous valve and a flow channel positioned between the leaflets;
- and
- wherein a pair of first actuation chambers is positioned adjacent the channel walls of the fluid channel, wherein the pair of first actuation chambers are configured to decrease a width of the flow channel of the first venous valve in response to pressurization of the pair of first actuation chambers, and to increase a width of the flow channel of the first venous valve in response to depressurization of the pair of first actuation chambers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.