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A computational and experimental study inside microfluidic systems: the role of shear stress and flow recirculation in cell docking

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Abstract

In this paper, microfluidic devices containing microwells that enabled cell docking were investigated. We theoretically assessed the effect of geometry on recirculation areas and wall shear stress patterns within microwells and studied the relationship between the computational predictions and experimental cell docking. We used microchannels with 150 μm diameter microwells that had either 20 or 80 μm thickness. Flow within 80 μm deep microwells was subject to extensive recirculation areas and low shear stresses (<0.5 mPa) near the well base; whilst these were only presented within a 10 μm peripheral ring in 20 μm thick microwells. We also experimentally demonstrated that cell docking was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in 80 μm thick microwells as compared to 20 μm thick microwells. Finally, a computational tool which correlated physical and geometrical parameters of microwells with their fluid dynamic environment was developed and was also experimentally confirmed.

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Acknowledgments

M.C. and M.M. were supported by the Progetto Roberto Rocca Collaboration. The Khademhosseini group is funded by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health grants (HL092836, EB009196 and DE019024). B. G. Chung was partially supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (Grant Number R11-2008-044-01001-0) and Korea Industrial Technology Foundation (KOTEF) through the Human Resource Training Project for Strategic Technology. The authors thank Professor Marjo Yliperttulaa and Professor Edward Hæggström for helpful discussion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biological Structure Mechanics, Department of Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Margherita Cioffi & Gabriele Dubini

  2. IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy

    Margherita Cioffi & Matteo Moretti

  3. Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Amir Manbachi, Bong Geun Chung & Ali Khademhosseini

  4. Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Amir Manbachi

  5. Department of Bionano Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, 426-791, Korea

    Bong Geun Chung

  6. Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Bong Geun Chung & Ali Khademhosseini

Authors
  1. Margherita Cioffi
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  2. Matteo Moretti
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  3. Amir Manbachi
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  4. Bong Geun Chung
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  5. Ali Khademhosseini
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  6. Gabriele Dubini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Margherita Cioffi.

Additional information

Margherita Cioffi and Matteo Moretti contributed equally.

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Cioffi, M., Moretti, M., Manbachi, A. et al. A computational and experimental study inside microfluidic systems: the role of shear stress and flow recirculation in cell docking. Biomed Microdevices 12, 619–626 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-010-9414-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-010-9414-5

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