Summary
Published in Frontiers in Medical Technology (2021), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Markoski, Alex, et al. 3D Printed Monolithic Device for the Microfluidic Capture, Perfusion, and Analysis of Multicellular Spheroids
3D Printed Monolithic Device for the Microfluidic Capture, Perfusion, and Analysis of Multicellular Spheroids
Research Overview
Microfluidic analysis of tissue models is growing fast, with increasing recognition that perfusion is needed to reproduce key aspects of the in vivo microenvironment. This study reports the first use of 3D printing to fabricate monolithic devices that capture and image tumor spheroids under dynamic perfusion flow.
Printing resolution was refined until features were precise enough to capture and retain spheroids in a flow stream supplying enough oxygen and nutrients to sustain viability for several days. 3D printing also enables rapid design iteration guided by computational fluid dynamics — far faster than conventional replica molding from photolithographic masters.
Key Discoveries
- First 3D-printed monolithic microfluidic device for capturing and imaging tumor spheroids under perfusion
- Print resolution refined to retain spheroids in flow while sustaining viability for days
- CFD-guided rapid design cycles replace slow photolithographic replica molding
