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Fluid dynamics of the droplet impact processes in cell printing

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Abstract

Cell printing, in which cell-laden droplets are delivered to target positions using inkjets or other devices, is an emerging technique in tissue engineering. Despite significant progress, the survival rate of cells delivered to these positions is often inadequate for targeted applications. Here, we developed a simple model for cell printing based on multiphase fluid–structure interactions. Using this model, we reconstructed the droplet and cell dynamics during the droplet impact process in cell printing. Based on extensive simulations, we developed a general picture of the droplet impact process by dividing it into four stages: the inertia stage, the interfacial flow stage, the elastic response stage, and the viscous flow stage. We provided a simple estimation of the duration of each stage and the magnitude of stress within the cell during each stage. From that estimation, we determined that surface tension is essential for controlling the deformation and stress inside cell under low-to-moderate droplet impact velocities relevant to inkjet-based cell printing. Based on extensive parametric studies, strategies for controlling the stress and deformation of cells during cell printing are examined and their practical implementations are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

All authors gratefully acknowledge support from NSF under Grant No. CBET-0936235. P.H. was also partially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK20130597), the Specialized Research Funds for Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20130092120021), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 22420135013). The authors thank the Clemson-CCIT office for allocation of computer time on the Palmetto cluster and Godfrey Kimball for proofreading the manuscript.

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  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Engineering Mechanics, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210096, China

    Ping He

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Ying Liu & Rui Qiao

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  1. Ping He
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Correspondence to Rui Qiao.

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He, P., Liu, Y. & Qiao, R. Fluid dynamics of the droplet impact processes in cell printing. Microfluid Nanofluid 18, 569–585 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-014-1470-3

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