Fabrication of multilayered tube-shaped microstructures embedding cells inside microfluidic devices

Abstract

Microfluidic devices provide efficient approaches for building bio-mimetic tube-shaped structures for tissue engineering or in vitro tissue models. We report a novel method of constructing multi-layered tube-shaped microstructures embedding cells via a 2-layer microfluidic device. The on-chip fabrication of movable microstructures embedding fiber blast cell (NIH/3T3) based on Poly (ethylene glycol) Diacrylate (PEGDA) was reported. A novel microfluidic channel was presented for conducting self-assembly method and a 2-layered microfluidic device was fabricated by Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The self-assembly process for fabricated movable microstructures via this device was demonstrated. For improving the assembly alignment, movable microstructures with different functional shapes were fabricated. Improvement of assembly for alignment was conducted. A tube-shaped microstructure, which was firmly connected by secondary UV exposure method, was fabricated inside the channel and transported to a culture dish.