Cfd Research Corporation

Balabhaskar Prabhakarpandian

Kapil Pant

Shivshankar Sundaram

Ketan Harendrakumar Bhatt

Vinod B Makhijani

Yi Wang

Andrzej Przekwas

Kevin Daniel Roehm

Lap Man Lee, Iii

Charles Joseph Garson

Angela I Rea-Ramsey

A portable platelet apheresis system can include: a whole blood inlet configured to receive whole blood; an anticoagulant source containing an anticoagulant; a mixer fluidly coupled with the whole blood inlet and anticoagulant source and configured to mix the whole blood and the anticoagulant; a whole blood sorter microfluidic network; a platelet poor outlet positioned to receive a platelet poor fraction; and a platelet concentrator outlet positioned to receive a concentrated platelet fraction. The whole blood sorter microfluidic network includes: a sorter constricted region having a first cross-sectional dimension; a sorter expansion region having a second cross-sectional dimension that is larger than the first cross-sectional dimension; at least one sorter side channel (platelet rich plasma channel) formed into a side of the sorter expansion region; and at least one sorter outlet (platelet poor plasma channel) that is downstream or medial from the at least one sorter side channel.

Portable platelet apheresis system

A method of creating a reperfusion injury can include: providing a cell culture device having an internal chamber with at least one port coupled to a perfusion modulating system capable of modulating perfusion in the internal chamber, wherein the internal chamber includes a cell culture; perfusing a fluid through the internal chamber with the perfusion modulating system, wherein the perfusion modulating system includes at least one pump; reducing fluid flow through the internal chamber; reperfusing fluid flow through the internal chamber; and creating a reperfusion injury in the cell culture by the reperfusion of the fluid flow through the internal chamber. The cell culture includes at least one type of tissue cell. The cell culture can include a tissue construct formed of hydrogel and/or extracellular matrix.

Systems and methods for reperfusion injury

A method of inducing ischemia includes: providing a cell culture device having a first cell culture in an internal chamber and a second cell culture in at least one fluid channel and a perfusion modulating system that causes changes in oxygen flow in the internal chamber and/or at least one fluid channel; flowing liquid media having oxygen through the internal chamber and at least one fluid channel of the cell culture device; modulating oxygen perfusion in the internal chamber with the perfusion modulating system by varying and selectively blocking the flow rate of at least one of the liquid media or oxygen through the internal chamber to induce varying levels of ischemia; and assaying for ischemia in the first cell culture.

Synthetic microfluidic systems for hypoxia

A method of assaying metastasis can include: providing a device of one of the embodiments; introducing the at least one cancer cell into the at least one internal chamber or at least one fluid channel; and studying metastasis of the at least one cancer cell. Optionally: introducing cancer cells into a first internal chamber; detecting escape of the cancer cell from the first internal chamber into the fluid channel; detecting migration of the cancer cell through the fluid channel; detecting adhesion of the cancer cell to a coating on the fluid channel; detecting invasion of the cancer cell into a second internal chamber from the fluid channel; or visualizing metastasis of the cancer cell with a visualization device.

Synthetic microfluidic systems for tumor metastasis

A method of testing an analyte can include using a cell culture device that includes: at least three distinct chambers between the top wall and bottom wall. The chambers can include: an internal chamber defined by at least one porous internal wall; one or more boundary layer chambers having at least an inner boundary layer chamber defined by the at least one porous internal wall and at least one porous inner boundary layer wall, the at least one porous internal wall having a plurality of pores fluidically coupling the central internal chamber to the one or more boundary layer chamber; and an outer chamber.

Multi-chambered cell culture device to model organ microphysiology

A cell culture assay device can include: a substrate having a plurality of discrete microfluidic networks and a plurality of wells over the discrete microfluidic networks, each discrete microfluidic network having one or more wells fluidly coupled thereto, the wells extending upward from the discrete microfluidic networks; and a manifold body coupled with the substrate and having at least one fluid conduit pair for each microfluidic network and/or each well, each fluid conduit pair including a fluid inlet conduit and a fluid outlet conduit fluidly coupled to a corresponding microfluidic network and/or well. The substrate can be formed from a substrate base having the microfluidic networks coupled to a well plate having the wells associated with the microfluidic networks.

Cell culture device with an array of microfluidic networks

A cell culture device can include: at least 3 distinct chambers between the top wall and bottom wall. The perimeter walls can include: an internal chamber defined by at least one porous internal wall; one or more boundary layer chambers having at least an inner boundary layer chamber defined by the at least one porous internal wall and at least one porous inner boundary layer wall, the at least one porous internal wall having a plurality of pores fluidically coupling the central internal chamber to the one or more boundary layer chamber; and an outer chamber.

A method of assaying wound healing can include: growing cells on the matrix in the first flow channel; introducing an agent that removes the matrix from the junction; introducing a matrix material into the second flow channel so as to form the second matrix in the second flow channel and junction; and detecting cellular migration into the junction onto the second matrix. The agent that removes the matrix can include a biomolecule or chemical agent. The method can include removing cells in the matrix in the junction before introducing the matrix material into the second flow channel. A bioactive agent can be introduced into the junction to determine if it modulates cellular migration and/or clot formation into the intersection openings of tissue and vascular channels.

Synthetic microfluidic systems for wound healing

An apparatus for assaying a tumor drug delivery vehicle and or drug can include an idealized microvascular network (IMN) of one or more interconnected idealized flow channels in fluid communication through a porous wall with a tissue space (e.g., idealized tissue space) containing animal cells and means for quantifying drug delivery through the IMN to the animal cells.

Microfluidic assay in idealized microvascular network for selection and optimization of drug delivery vehicles to simulated tumors

Synthetic microfluidic systems for wound healing and hemostasis

Methods of assaying the leukocyte adhesion cascade (LAC) and monitoring leukocyte rolling, adhesion, and/or migration can be implemented with an apparatus that includes an idealized microvascular network (IMN) of one or more interconnected idealized flow channels in fluid communication through a porous wall with a tissue space (e.g., idealized tissue space). The methods of assaying the LAC can be implemented with means for quantifying modulation of the leukocyte adhesion cascade. Methods of assaying the LAC can be implemented with the device and one or more active agents to monitor leukocyte rolling, adhesion, and/or migration in the presence of absence of the active agent. Migration can be through the idealized flow channels, through the porous wall, and/or into the tissue space.

Microfluidic assay in idealized microvascular network for characterization of leukocyte adhesion cascade

A method for characterizing particle adhesion in microfluidic bifurcations and junctions comprises at least one idealized bifurcation or junction. Multiple bifurcations and/or junctions can be combined on a single microfluidic chip to create microfluidic networks configured for assays specifically to characterize particle interactions at junctions or to screen particles for desired interactions with microfluidic bifurcations and/or junctions.

Particle adhesion assay for microfluidic bifurcations

A synthetic microfluidic microvasculature network and associated methods mimic 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 described with applications in the optimization of drug delivery and microvascular treatments and in describing disease mechanisms that affect the microvasculature.

Synthetic microfluidic microvasculature networks

A microfluidic cartridge for isolating biological molecules having a capture chamber containing functionalized solid supports maintained in a fluidized state provides reduced pressure drops and bubble formation during microfluidic extraction. The cartridge may include an electric field lysis chamber and/or a chemical lysis chamber. The electric-field lysis chamber may comprise an electrically insulating structure arranged between two opposing planar electrodes.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, AL, United States of America

Balabhaskar Prabhakarpandian