Blog – MAMI

19Oct 2020 by anna

Magnetic fluids and microfluidics: A short review

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AuthorEmma Thomée, PhD candidate at Elvesys emma.thomee@elvesys.com Elvesys SAS, 172 Rue de Charonne 75011 Paris 1. Introduction into magnetic fluids and microfluidics Magnetic manipulation of micro-fluids is an attractive concept. Due to the non-invasive nature of magnetic fields, magnetic particles or magnetic fluids can be manipulated inside a microfluidic channel by external magnets that are not in direct contact with the fluid. Ferrofluids make up a specific class of magnetic fluids. Ferrofluids are stable colloid suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles in a nonmagnetic carrier fluid, and they exhibit both magnetic and fluidic properties. External magnetic fields can be applied to control their fluid motion and their fluidic properties are retained even under the influence of strong magnetic fields. Ferrofluids can move just as single component fluids thorough microchannels of microfluidic devices.…

Actuation concepts for in vivo-like mechanical strain

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Various actuation concepts can be used to generate membrane stretching. Mimicking stretching forces in vitro for cell culture is often required, for example in lung-on-chip tissue culture (breathing), in heart-on-chip models (heartbeat) or gut-on-chip (peristaltic intestine movement). We will briefly outline the most common and promising principles, including pneumatic actuation, electromagnetic actuation, piezoelectric actuation and dielectrophoretic actuation used in microfluidic organ-on-chip technology. 1. Introduction Cells and tissues in the human body are naturally exposed to different types of mechanical forces. The forces range over multiple length scales. For instance, our bones and cartilage are exposed to compressive loads as we walk and move and our blood vessels are continuously exposed to shear stresses due to vascular flow and to cyclic strain due to blood pressure or lung tissue is under mechanical…

A short overview of Lung-on-Chip systems. The use of the alveolar-capillary barrier in human medicine by Emma Thomée.

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Author: Emma Thomée*, PhD candidateEmail: emma.thomee@elvesys.com 1. Introduction into lung-on-a-chip microfluidic systems Organ-on-chip technology provides unique opportunities to study lung physiology and pathophysiology in vitro. The first lung-on-a-chip platforms emerged almost 10 years ago, and significant progress has since been made in terms of both biological and engineering complexity. Here, we describe one of the most sophisticated lung-on-a-chip systems in terms of biological complexity [1] that model the alveolar-capillary barrier, in order to present the current knowledge on the topic. 2. Structure and function of the human lung Organ-on-chip technology provides unique opportunities to study lung physiology and pathophysiology in vitro. The first lung-on-a-chip platforms emerged almost 10 years ago, and significant progress has since been made in terms of both biological and engineering complexity. Here, we describe one of the most sophisticated lung-on-a-chip systems in terms…