Synthetic microfluidic microvasculature network
Inventors
Prabhakarpandian, Balabhaskar • Sundaram, Shivshankar • Pant, Kapil
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Assignees
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SynVivoSynVivo is a pioneering provider of cell-based microfluidic organ-on-chip platforms, delivering biologically realistic microenvironments for real-time study of cellular behavior, drug delivery, and drug discovery. Their proprietary technology bridges microfluidics and bioengineering, enabling advanced research in life sciences, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. SynVivo's chips support microvascular networks that closely mimic in vivo tissue conditions, validated by scientific research to more accurately reflect human biology than conventional culture methods. The platform is especially impactful for personalized cancer therapy, allowing patient-derived cells to be used for drug efficacy testing in a simulated tumor environment. SynVivo also distributes a wide range of high-quality primary cells and cell lines from various species, supporting research in immunology, cardiovascular, and cancer biology.
SynVivo is a pioneering provider of cell-based microfluidic organ-on-chip platforms, delivering biologically realistic microenvironments for real-time study of cellular behavior, drug delivery, and drug discovery. Their proprietary technology bridges microfluidics and bioengineering, enabling advanced research in life sciences, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. SynVivo's chips support microvascular networks that closely mimic in vivo tissue conditions, validated by scientific research to more accurately reflect human biology than conventional culture methods. The platform is especially impactful for personalized cancer therapy, allowing patient-derived cells to be used for drug efficacy testing in a simulated tumor environment. SynVivo also distributes a wide range of high-quality primary cells and cell lines from various species, supporting research in immunology, cardiovascular, and cancer biology.
Publication Number
US-7725267-B2
Publication Date
2010-05-25
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present invention is a synthetic microfluidic microvasculature network and associated methods. The synthetic microfluidic microvasculature network mimics the structure, fluid flow characteristics, and physiological behavior of physiological microvasculature networks. Computational methods for simulating flow and particle adherence in synthetic and physiological microvascular systems and methods for determining parameters influencing particle adhesion and drug delivery are also described. The invention has many uses including the optimization of drug delivery and microvascular treatments and in describing disease mechanisms that affect the microvasculature such as inflammation, diabetes and hypertension.
Core Innovation
The present invention is a synthetic microfluidic microvasculature network and associated methods. The synthetic microfluidic microvasculature network mimics the structure, fluid flow characteristics, and physiological behavior of physiological microvasculature networks. Computational methods for simulating flow and particle adherence in synthetic and physiological microvascular systems and methods for determining parameters influencing particle adhesion and drug delivery are also described. The invention has many uses including the optimization of drug delivery and microvascular treatments and in describing disease mechanisms that affect the microvasculature such as inflammation, diabetes and hypertension.
There remains a need in the art for an in-vitro flow chamber that accurately simulates the anatomical and hemodynamic properties of physiological microvascular networks. There is also a need for methods of using such a flow chamber that describe and predict the behavior of particles and cells in microvascular networks. The present invention provides apparatus and methods that can be used to study fluid flow and particle adhesion in physiological vessels including arterioles, capillaries, venules, and microvascular networks and provides microfluidic chips comprising synthetic microvascular networks (SMNs) with flow channels that possess key geometric and topological features that cause them to display the same types of fluid flow patterns and particle adhesion patterns as are found in physiological microvascular networks.
Claims Coverage
The patent discloses one independent claim (claim 1) that recites three main inventive features.
Microfluidic chip with fluid inlets and outlets
A microfluidic microvascular chip comprising one or more fluid inlets and one or more fluid outlets.
Non-linear flow channels forming a synthetic microvascular network
A plurality of non-linear flow channels forming a synthetic microvascular network allowing fluid flow between one or more fluid inlets and one or more fluid outlets.
Geometric characteristics of flow channels
Said non-linear flow channels forming said synthetic microvascular network possess a geometric characteristic selected from the group consisting of a variable cross-sectional shape, a variable cross-sectional area, a turn, a bend, a bifurcation, a junction, a convolution, an anastomosis, and combinations thereof.
Claim 1 covers a microfluidic microvascular chip defined by (1) fluid inlet/outlet features, (2) a plurality of non-linear flow channels that form a synthetic microvascular network enabling flow between inlets and outlets, and (3) specified geometric characteristics of those non-linear flow channels.
Stated Advantages
Mimics the structure, fluid flow characteristics, and physiological behavior of physiological microvasculature networks.
Provides computational methods for simulating flow and particle adherence and for determining parameters influencing particle adhesion and drug delivery.
Enables optimization of drug delivery and microvascular treatments and the study/description of disease mechanisms affecting the microvasculature such as inflammation, diabetes and hypertension.
Requires quantities of reagents reduced by orders of magnitude compared with currently used techniques.
Allows rapid and cost-effective study and optimization of particle/cell adhesion and supports development of plastic, disposable chips to eliminate concerns of cross-contamination.
Documented Applications
Study fluid flow and particle adhesion in physiological vessels including arterioles, capillaries, venules, and microvascular networks.
Determine the adhesion parameters of particles in a physiological microvascular network using an in-vitro microvascular flow chamber.
Predict the adhesion parameters of particles in a physiological microvascular network or an in-vitro microvascular flow chamber using a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model.
An anatomically realistic, in-vitro/in-silico toolkit to study microvascular processes such as leukocyte adhesion, platelet adhesion, inflammation, chemotaxis, thrombosis, vascular activation, and the effects of shear rate on vascular endothelial cells.
A microfluidic chip for in-vitro optimization of vehicles for targeted drug delivery.
A microfluidic chip comprising a pattern of channels obtained from one image or a combination of images of in-vivo microvascular networks.
SMNs that mimic physiological microvascular networks and comprise cells attached and/or cultured on the inner surfaces of flow channels or substrates (proteins/DNA/RNA/biomolecules) coated on the inner surfaces of flow channels.
Use in describing disease mechanisms that affect the microvasculature such as inflammation, diabetes and hypertension and in optimizing microvascular treatments.
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