E‐FLOAT: Extractable Floating Liquid Gel‐Based Organ‐on‐a‐Chip for Airway Tissue Modeling under Airflow (Adv. Mater. Technol. 12/2021)

Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) uses the microfluidic 3D cell culture principle to reproduce organ- or tissue-level functionality at a small scale instead of replicating the entire human organ. This provides an alternative to animal models for drug development and environmental toxicology screening. In addition to the biomimetic 3D microarchitecture and cell–cell interactions, it has been demonstrated that mechanical stimuli such as shear stress and mechanical strain significantly influence cell behavior and their response to pharmaceuticals. Microfluidics is capable of precisely manipulating the fluid of a microenvironment within a 3D cell culture platform. As a result, many OOC prototypes leverage microfluidic technology to reproduce the mechanically dynamic microenvironment on-chip and achieve enhanced in vitro functional organ models. Unlike shear stress that can be readily generated and precisely controlled using commercial pumping systems, dynamic systems for generating proper levels of mechanical strains are more complicated, and often require miniaturization and specialized designs. As such, this review proposes to summarize innovative microfluidic OOC platforms utilizing mechanical actuators that induce deflection of cultured cells/tissues for replicating the dynamic microenvironment of human organs.

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An improved method for soft tissue modeling

Biomedical Signal Processing and Control ◽

10.1016/j.bspc.2020.102367 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 65 ◽

pp. 102367

Author(s):

Yushan Tang ◽

Shan Liu ◽

Yaru Deng ◽

Yuhui Zhang ◽

Lirong Yin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soft Tissue ◽

Improved Method ◽

Tissue Modeling ◽

Soft Tissue Modeling

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Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE)–Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA) Hybrid Devices for Active Pumping PDMS-Free Organ-on-a-Chip Systems

Biosensors ◽

10.3390/bios11050162 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 162

Author(s):

Mathias Busek ◽

Steffen Nøvik ◽

Aleksandra Aizenshtadt ◽

Mikel Amirola-Martinez ◽

Thomas Combriat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Methyl Methacrylate ◽

Drug Testing ◽

Low Cost ◽

Thermoplastic Elastomer ◽

Bonding Process ◽

Cell Alignment ◽

Poly Methyl Methacrylate ◽

Bonding Parameters ◽

Organ On A Chip ◽

Hybrid Devices

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been used in microfluidic systems for years, as it can be easily structured and its flexibility makes it easy to integrate actuators including pneumatic pumps. In addition, the good optical properties of the material are well suited for analytical systems. In addition to its positive aspects, PDMS is well known to adsorb small molecules, which limits its usability when it comes to drug testing, e.g., in organ-on-a-chip (OoC) systems. Therefore, alternatives to PDMS are in high demand. In this study, we use thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) films thermally bonded to laser-cut poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sheets to build up multilayered microfluidic devices with integrated pneumatic micro-pumps. We present a low-cost manufacturing technology based on a conventional CO2 laser cutter for structuring, a spin-coating process for TPE film fabrication, and a thermal bonding process using a pneumatic hot-press. UV treatment with an Excimer lamp prior to bonding drastically improves the bonding process. Optimized bonding parameters were characterized by measuring the burst load upon applying pressure and via profilometer-based measurement of channel deformation. Next, flow and long-term stability of the chip layout were measured using microparticle Image Velocimetry (uPIV). Finally, human endothelial cells were seeded in the microchannels to check biocompatibility and flow-directed cell alignment. The presented device is compatible with a real-time live-cell analysis system.

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Multi-compartment Organ-on-a-Chip Based on Electrospun Nanofiber Membrane as In Vitro Jaundice Disease Model

Advanced Fiber Materials ◽

10.1007/s42765-021-00091-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fan Lei ◽

Minhua Liang ◽

Yang Liu ◽

Hanhao Huang ◽

Haofei Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Model ◽

Electrospun Nanofiber ◽

Nanofiber Membrane ◽

Organ On A Chip

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Section 4: Sensor, Signal and Imaging Informatics: Sensors, Medical Image and Signal Processing

Yearbook of Medical Informatics ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1638489 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 15 (01) ◽

pp. 70-73

Author(s):

R.W Westphal ◽

Keyword(s):

Medical Image ◽

Selection Process ◽

Imaging Informatics ◽

Sensor Signal ◽

Tissue Modeling ◽

Excellent Research ◽

Body Sensors ◽

Selection For ◽

Soft Tissue Modeling ◽

Future Patient

SummaryObjectives:To summarize current excellent research in the field of sensor, signal and imaging informatics.Method:Synopsis of the articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2007.Results:The selection process for this yearbook section “Sensor, signal and imaging informatics” results in five excellent articles, representing research in four different nations. Papers from the fields of brain machine interfaces, sound surveillance in telemonitoring, soft tissue modeling, and body sensors have been selected.Conclusion:The selection for this yearbook section can only reflect a small portion of the worldwide copious work in the field of sensors, signal and image processing with applications in medical informatics. However, the selected papers demonstrate, how advances in this field may positively affect future patient care.

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