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In-air microfluidics enables rapid fabrication of emulsions, suspensions, and 3D modular (bio)materials.

ABSTRACT: Microfluidic chips provide unparalleled control over droplets and jets, which have advanced all natural sciences. However, microfluidic applications could be vastly expanded by increasing the per-channel throughput and directly exploiting the output of chips for rapid additive manufacturing. We unlock these features with in-air microfluidics, a new chip-free platform to manipulate microscale liquid streams in the air. By controlling the composition and in-air impact of liquid microjets by surface tension-driven encapsulation, we fabricate monodisperse emulsions, particles, and fibers with diameters of 20 to 300 ?m at rates that are 10 to 100 times higher than chip-based droplet microfluidics. Furthermore, in-air microfluidics uniquely enables module-based production of three-dimensional (3D) multiscale (bio)materials in one step because droplets are partially solidified in-flight and can immediately be printed onto a substrate. In-air microfluidics is cytocompatible, as demonstrated by additive manufacturing of 3D modular constructs with tailored microenvironments for multiple cell types. Its in-line control, high throughput and resolution, and cytocompatibility make in-air microfluidics a versatile platform technology for science, industry, and health care.

SUBMITTER: Visser CW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5792224 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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In-air microfluidics enables rapid fabrication of emulsions, suspensions, and 3D modular (bio)materials.

Visser Claas Willem CW Kamperman Tom T Karbaat Lisanne P LP Lohse Detlef D Karperien Marcel M

Science advances 20180131 1

Microfluidic chips provide unparalleled control over droplets and jets, which have advanced all natural sciences. However, microfluidic applications could be vastly expanded by increasing the per-channel throughput and directly exploiting the output of chips for rapid additive manufacturing. We unlock these features with in-air microfluidics, a new chip-free platform to manipulate microscale liquid streams in the air. By controlling the composition and in-air impact of liquid microjets by surfac ...[more]

PMID: 29399628

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Project description:Fabrication of microchip-based devices using 3-D printing technology offers a unique platform to create separate modules that can be put together when desired for analysis. A 3-D printed module approach offers various advantages such as file sharing and the ability to easily replace, customize, and modify the individual modules. Here, we describe the use of a modular approach to electrochemically detect the ATP-mediated release of nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells. Nitric oxide plays a significant role in the vasodilation process; however, detection of NO is challenging due to its short half-life. To enable this analysis, we use three distinct 3-D printed modules: cell culture, sample injection and detection modules. The detection module follows a pillar-based Wall-Jet Electrode design, where the analyte impinges normal to the electrode surface, offering enhanced sensitivity for the analyte. To further enhance the sensitivity and selectivity for NO detection the working electrode (100 μm gold) is modified by the addition of a 27 μm gold pillar and platinum-black coated with Nafion. The use of the pillar electrode leads to three-dimensional structure protruding into the channel enhancing the sensitivity by 12.4 times in comparison to the flat electrode (resulting LOD for NO = 210 nM). The next module, the 3-D printed sample injection module, follows a simple 4-Port injection rotor design made of two separate components that when assembled can introduce a specific volume of analyte. This module not only serves as a cheaper alternative to the commercially available 4-Port injection valves, but also demonstrates the ability of volume customization and reduced dead-volume issues with the use of capillary-free connections. Comparison between the 3-D printed and a commercial 4-Port injection valve showed similar sensitivities and reproducibility for NO analysis. Lastly, the cell culture module contains electrospun polystyrene fibers with immobilized endothelial cells, resulting in 3-D scaffold for cell culture. With the incorporation of all 3 modules, we can make reproducible ATP injections (via the 3-D printed sample injection module) that can stimulate NO release from endothelial cells cultured on a fibrous insert in the cell culture module which can then be quantitated by the pillar WJE module (0.19 ± 0.03 nM/cell, n = 27, 3 inserts analyzed each day, on 9 different days). The modular approach demonstrates the facile creation of custom and modifiable fluidic components that can be assembled as needed.

Dataset Information

In-air microfluidics enables rapid fabrication of emulsions, suspensions, and 3D modular (bio)materials.

Publications

In-air microfluidics enables rapid fabrication of emulsions, suspensions, and 3D modular (bio)materials.

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