| dc.description.abstract | In recent year, the microfluidic devices have been widely developed. Whether the paper based microfluidic device, microfluidic chip or bioreactor, they are developed toward the direction of automatic control with external actuators. And these actuators are also increase their applications in active control. For example: in the paper-based microfluidic device, the active control of fluid flow rate on the filter paper. or external physical stimulation that affect the cells growth in the microfluidic chip and bioreactor, etc. Therefore, we target to develop an external actuated microfluidic platform according different microfluidic device.
In paper-based microfluidic devices, many devices still use passive valve control, but didn’t develop the active valve control to change the flow rate on the filter paper. In the first part of this thesis, we will combine the concepts of paper-based microfluidic devices and automated operation to design a microfluidic electromechanical control platform. And we use active control to solve the liquid transmission problem and promote the multiple drug testing needs in the future.
In many studies, external physical stimulation can promote cells growth and differentiation, such us mechanical stretching, electrical stimulation, shear stress, etc. However, they can’t affect cells by multi external physical stimulation in many researches. In second part of thesis, we combine the design concept and advantages of microfluidic chip and bioreactors, to develop and design the external actuated microfluidic electromechanical control platform. Microfluidic chip and bioreactor are in vitro cell culture device as a biomimic environment to replace animal experiments. Although microfluidic chip have some limitation of unreplaceable, reusability etc. Although the bioreactor can solve the problems, but the problems will happen while the device or equipment redesign to be bigger, such as air leakage, liquid leakage, development of external stimulations. At the same time, system control will be a crucial factor to affect the various biological experiments. It also causes operator spent more time to setup the device and control.
Therefore, we target use PMMA to fabricate a biochip and PPy-PDMS film for cell culture. the function of biochip will have mechanical stretching and electrical stimulation, and we will ensure the biochip biocompatibility for cells. Finally, we will improved the electromechanical control and integrated the biochip into an externally actuated microfluidic electromechanical control platform.
To promote cell differentiation rate, we evaluate the cells need to design the function and development of external actuated microfluidic electromechanical control platform that synchronous applied the electrical pulse and mechanical stimulation. By 7 days culture, we verify the cell increased the differentiation and alignment result by multi-stimulation. And develop the possibility of modular device in the future.
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