Concurrent Connection of Embryonic Chick Heart Using a Microfluidic Device for Organ-Explant-Chip

Abstract

We propose a concurrent microvascular connection method called suction-induced vascular fixation (SVF) method for the achievement of Organ-Explant-Chip which is a biologically-designed simulator having biological materials such as cells, tissues, and organs. The advantages of proposed method with using a microfluidic device are as follows: (1) operation of flexible objects (blood vessels), (2) alignment the blood vessels concurrently, and (3) reduction of the DOFs of the blood vessels. From the experimental results, we confirmed that four cardiovascular of the explanted embryonic chick heart can be induced into the fabricated microfluidic device concurrently. We have also succeeded in construction of hybrid circulatory system between artifacts and embryonic chick heart, and monitoring the response of the heart of chick embryo by supplying the culture medium.