A circular cross-section PDMS microfluidics system for replication of cardiovascular flow conditions

LK Fiddes, N Raz, S Srigunapalan, E Tumarkan… - Biomaterials, 2010 - Elsevier
LK Fiddes, N Raz, S Srigunapalan, E Tumarkan, CA Simmons, AR Wheeler, E Kumacheva
Biomaterials, 2010Elsevier
Since the inception of soft lithography, microfluidic devices for cardiovascular research have
been fabricated easily and cost-effectively using the soft lithography method. The drawback
of this method was the fabrication of microchannels with rectangular cross-sections, which
did not replicate the circular cross-sections of blood vessels. This article presents a novel,
straightforward approach for the fabrication of microchannels with circular cross-sections in
poly (dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS), using soft lithography. The method exploits the …
Since the inception of soft lithography, microfluidic devices for cardiovascular research have been fabricated easily and cost-effectively using the soft lithography method. The drawback of this method was the fabrication of microchannels with rectangular cross-sections, which did not replicate the circular cross-sections of blood vessels. This article presents a novel, straightforward approach for the fabrication of microchannels with circular cross-sections in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), using soft lithography. The method exploits the polymerization of the liquid silicone oligomer around a gas stream when both of them are coaxially introduced in the microchannel with a rectangular cross-section. We demonstrate (i) the ability to control the diameter of circular cross-sections of microchannels from ca. 40–100 μm; (ii) the fabrication of microchannels with constrictions, and (iii) the capability to grow endothelial cells on the inner surface of the microchannels.
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