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On-Chip Construction of Multilayered Hydrogel Microtubes for Engineered Vascular-Like Microstructures. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:mi10120840. [PMID: 31805688 PMCID: PMC6953073 DOI: 10.3390/mi10120840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Multilayered and multicellular structures are indispensable for constructing functional artificial tissues. Engineered vascular-like microstructures with multiple layers are promising structures to be functionalized as artificial blood vessels. In this paper, we present an efficient method to construct multilayer microtubes embedding different microstructures based on direct fabrication and assembly inside a microfluidic device. This four-layer microfluidic device has two separate inlets for fabricating various microstructures. We have achieved alternating-layered microtubes by controlling the fabrication, flow, and assembly time of each microstructure, and as well, double-layered microtubes have been built by a two-step assembly method. Modifications of both the inner and outer layers was successfully demonstrated, and the flow conditions during the on-chip assembly were evaluated and optimized. Each microtube was successfully constructed within several minutes, showing the potential applications of the presented method for building engineered vascular-like microstructures with high efficiency.
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Huang K, Lu B, Lai J, Chu HKH. Microchip System for Patterning Cells on Different Substrates via Negative Dielectrophoresis. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS 2019; 13:1063-1074. [PMID: 31478871 DOI: 10.1109/tbcas.2019.2937744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Seeding cells on a planar substrate is the first step to construct artificial tissues in vitro. Cells should be organized into a pattern similar to native tissues and cultured on a favorable substrate to facilitate desirable tissue ingrowth. In this study, a microchip system is designed and fabricated to form cells into a specific pattern on different substrates. The system consists of a microchip with a dot-electrode array for cell trapping and patterning and two motorized platforms for providing relative motions between the microchip and the substrate. AC voltage is supplied to the selected electrodes by using a programmable micro control unit to control relays connected to the dot-electrodes. Nonuniform electric fields for cell manipulation are formed via negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP). Experiments were conducted to create different patterns by using yeast cells. The effects of different experimental parameters and material properties on the patterning efficiency were evaluated and analyzed. Mechanisms to remove abundant cells surrounding the constructed patterns were also examined. Results show that the microchip system could successfully create cell patterns on different substrates. The use of calcium chloride (CaCl 2) enhanced the cell adhesiveness on the substrate. The proposed n-DEP patterning technique offers a new method for constructing artificial tissues with high flexibility on cell patterning and selecting substrate to suit application needs.
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Liu X, Shi Q, Wang H, Sun T, Yu N, Huang Q, Fukuda T. Microbubbles for High-Speed Assembly of Cell-Laden Vascular-Like Microtube. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2016.2524065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Shen Y, Fukuda T. State of the art: micro-nanorobotic manipulation in single cell analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1186/s40638-014-0021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Yue T, Nakajima M, Takeuchi M, Hu C, Huang Q, Fukuda T. On-chip self-assembly of cell embedded microstructures to vascular-like microtubes. LAB ON A CHIP 2014; 14:1151-61. [PMID: 24472895 DOI: 10.1039/c3lc51134k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Currently, research on the construction of vascular-like tubular structures is a hot area of tissue engineering, since it has potential applications in the building of artificial blood vessels. In this paper, we report a fluidic self-assembly method using cell embedded microstructures to construct vascular-like microtubes. A novel 4-layer microfluidic device was fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which contains fabrication, self-assembly and extraction areas inside one channel. Cell embedded microstructures were directly fabricated using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) in the fabrication area, namely on-chip fabrication. Self-assembly of the fabricated microstructures was performed in the assembly area which has a micro well. Assembled tubular structures (microtubes) were extracted outside the channel into culture dishes using a normally closed (NC) micro valve in the extraction area. The self-assembly mechanism was experimentally demonstrated. The performance of the NC micro valve and embedded cell concentration were both evaluated. Fibroblast (NIH/3T3) embedded vascular-like microtubes were constructed inside this reusable microfluidic device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yue
- Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan.
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Wang H, Shi Q, Yue T, Nakajima M, Takeuchi M, Huang Q, Fukuda T. Micro-Assembly of a Vascular-Like Micro-Channel with Railed Micro-Robot Team-Coordinated Manipulation. INT J ADV ROBOT SYST 2014. [DOI: 10.5772/58820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The 3D assembly of cellular structures is important for the fabrication of biological substitutes in tissue engineering. In particular, a micro-channel with a 200 μm diameter is of interest because of its promising ability to construct the vascular network for oxygen and nutrition delivery in thick biological substitutes in the future. In this paper, a novel rail-guided micro-robot-team system is proposed for the micro-assembly of a cellular structure. The cellular two-dimensional (2D) component was fabricated by ultraviolet (UV) illumination of a cross-linkable hydrogel. The modular rail-guided micro-robotic system was set up with multi-micromanipulators as the modules and controlled with hybrid motors to achieve an operation resolution of 30 nm. To realize the bottom-up fabrication of the cellular micro-channel, different micro-assembly strategies with multi-manipulators were developed. The micro-assembly success rate and the efficiency of the different strategies were evaluated based on the assembly of micro-donuts. Through the novel, designed, concentric movement of the multi-manipulators along the rail, arbitrary change of the approaching angle and the coordination posture was achieved to improve the micro-assembly's flexibility. The operation range for every micromanipulator in different coordinated manipulation modes was analysed to avoid the breakdown of the assembled 3D structure. The image processing for the target location and end-effector identification was conducted to improve assembly efficiency in the micro-robot-team system. Finally, the assembly of the cellular vascular-like micro-channel was achieved with coordinated manipulation in the rail-guided micro-robot-team system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaping Wang
- The Intelligent Robotics Institute, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems (Beijing Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Shi
- The Intelligent Robotics Institute, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems (Beijing Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Yue
- Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakajima
- The Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masaru Takeuchi
- The Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Qiang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems (Beijing Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Toshio Fukuda
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems (Beijing Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
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