As part of our work on the NSF STTR grant for our hemodialysis device, we need to develop a device to incorporate our liftoff membranes into to facilitate the fluidics. In this post (and likely, in another post later this month,) I will chronicle my contribution to this aspect of the project: finite element modeling of…

This paper parallels my efforts in creating a microfluidic device that can perform co-culturing of different cell types, allow real time phase and fluorescence imaging, and perform non-invasive TEER measurement using transparent electrodes. This is almost exactly what we aimed for; the only difference is in the type of the membrane. They are using a…

An application of nanothin and highly porous (NTHP) membranes for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation in a co-culture setting. The highlight of this article is that the NTHP membrane allows direct contact of the MSC to cardial myoblast (H9C2) while still maintaining the separation of the different cell types. This ultimately leads to higher degree…

Introduction Permeable membranes provide a physiologically relevant cell culture substrate for in vitro study of barrier cell types, such as endothelial cells, which assume a polarized morphology with distinct apical and basolateral surfaces. Cell morphology and subsequent monolayer formation and barrier function are largely dependent on initial interactions with the cell culture substrate via focal adhesions….

Here are the Vascular Interviews in comma separated value form if you want to download them. Here is what I learned or had reinforced. An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred method for creating an easily cannulated access point to large volumetric blood flow for hemodialysis. Normally the distal end of an artery in the arm (e.g. brachial or…

A change in open-circuit potential, measured across a pnc-Si membrane, in response to a fluctuation in flow rate of electrolyte solution exhibits a promising flow-sensing capability of the membrane.  To demonstrate this correlation, the open-circuit potentials were measured under a variety of pressured-driven flow patterns. In Figure 1, a series of flows under various applied…