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Microfabrication of cylindrical microfluidic channel networks for microvascular research

Biomedical Microdevices volume 14, pages 873–883 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Current methods for formation of microvascular channel scaffolds are limited with non-circular channel cross-sections, complicated fabrication, and less flexibility in microchannel network design. To address current limitations in the creation of engineered microvascular channels with complex three-dimensional (3-D) geometries in the shape of microvessels, we have developed a reproducible, cost-effective, and flexible micromanufacturing process combined with photolithographic reflowable photoresist and soft lithography techniques to fabricate cylindrical microchannel and networks. A positive reflowable photoresist AZ P4620 was used to fabricate a master microchannel mold with semi-circular cross-sections. By the alignment and bonding of two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels replicated from the master mold together, a cylindrical microchannel or microchannel network was created. Further examination of the channel dimensions and surface profiles at different branching levels showed that the shape of the microfluidic channel was well approximated by a semi-circular surface, and a multi-level, multi-depth channel network was created. In addition, a computational fluidic dynamics (CFD) model was used to simulate shear flows and corresponding pressure distributions inside of the microchannel and channel network based on the dimensions of the fabricated channels. The fabricated multi-depth cylindrical microchannel network can provide platforms for the investigation of microvascular cells growing inside of cylindrical channels under shear flows and lumen pressures, and work as scaffolds for the investigation of morphogenesis and tubulogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

Xiang Li and Zhouchun Huang are co-first authors. We thank Mr. Michael Martin for proofreading and editing the paper. This research work was supported by WVU EPSCoR program funded by the National Science Foundation (EPS-1003907). Partial support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation's ADVANCE IT Program under Award HRD-1007978. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The microfabrication work was done in WVU Shared Research Facilities (Cleanroom facilities) and Microfluidic Integrative Cellular Research on Chip Laboratory (MICRoChip Lab) at West Virginia University.

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Affiliations

  1. Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Zhouchun Huang, Xiang Li & Yuxin Liu

  2. Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    Manuela Martins-Green

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  1. Zhouchun Huang
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  2. Xiang Li
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  3. Manuela Martins-Green
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  4. Yuxin Liu
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Correspondence to Yuxin Liu.

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Zhouchun Huang and Xiang Li contributed equally.

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Huang, Z., Li, X., Martins-Green, M. et al. Microfabrication of cylindrical microfluidic channel networks for microvascular research. Biomed Microdevices 14, 873–883 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-012-9667-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-012-9667-2

Keywords

  • Reflow photoresist
  • PDMS
  • Multi-level
  • Multi-depth
  • Microchannels