A microfluidic structure includes a first media channel or well and a second media channel. A removable membrane is provided between the first media channel or well and the second media channel to permit diffusion. One or more plates is used to form the second media channel. A method of creating a microenvironment using the microfluidic structure is also provided.

A millifluidic device for cultures of biological agents comprising: a main body (11) comprising at least a first hole (40) closed at the bottom; a separator (35); a membrane (36) fixed to said separator (35); a plug (15) closing said first hole (40); said separator (35) designed to be placed in said first hole (40); said separator (35) being extractable from said first hole (40); said membrane (36) divides said first hole (40 ) into an upper half-chamber and a lower half-chamber; a pair of tubes (25) to perfuse said lower half-chamber; a pair of tubes (26) to perfuse said upper half-chamber; a first slide (22) placed centrally on said plug (15); a second slide (42) placed centrally on said first hole (40); a cylindrical body (41) rises from said first hole (40) and said second slide (42) is placed on the top of said cylindrical body (41); said cylindrical body (41) has a second hole (43), coaxial to said cylindrical body (41).

The invention relates to modeling brain neuronal disease in a microfluidic device, comprising a co-culture of iPS-derived brain endothelial cells; iPS-derived dopaminergic neurons; primary microglia; and primary astrocytes, a Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB)-Chip and a Brain-Chip. In particular, cross-talk between glial cells (e.g. microglia and astrocytes) with neuronal cells, in further contact with endothelial cells is contemplated for use for identifying drug targets under conditions for inducing in vivo relevant neuronal inflammation, neurodegeneration and neuronal death. Thus, in one embodiment, a microfluidic Brain-Chip comprising a co-culture of brain cells is exposed to α-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFF), a type of pathogenic form of α-synuclein. Such α-synuclein PFF exposure demonstrates an in vivo relevant disease pathogenesis on a microfluidic device as a concentration- and time-controlled manner that may be used for preclinical drug evaluation for diseases related to neuronal inflammation, e.g. Parkinson's disease (PD). In some embodiments, modulation of complement in the presence of neuronal inflammation is contemplated. In some embodiments, drug delivery to brain cells across the BBB is contemplated for preclinical testing of drug efficacy for slowing or stopping neuronal inflammation and degeneration.

A microfluidic device includes multiple microfluidic assay units arranged on a substrate, with each assay unit including multiple scaffold regions each containing a three-dimensional scaffold with associated cells, and a media channel surrounding a fluid-permeable boundary portion of at least a second scaffold region, wherein a fluid-permeable interface between the media channel and the second scaffold region comprises a curved shape spanning an arc of more than 90 degrees. A third scaffold region may be provided. Boundaries between different scaffold regions, and between a scaffold region and the media channel, may include microposts that may be spaced apart in a curved configuration. A method for performing an assay utilizing such a device is further provided.

Microfluidic platforms for forming and culturing perfusable hydrogel vascularized tissues typically include one or more culture chambers. Each culture chamber includes at least two openings overlaid over a gel channel. The gel channel typically includes at least two tissue zones and a trapping or insertion portion positioned between the tissue zones. The trapping or insertion portion permits vascular networks to develop between the two tissue zones containing vascularized tissues and/or vascularized tissue masses. The vascularized tissue masses in the tissue zones of the gel channel are connected indirectly, via the vascular network of the trapping portion. Also described are methods of forming and culturing perfusable vascularized tissue masses directly or indirectly interconnected via vascularized networks.

The present invention relates to an automatic culture device using a single-use closed system flow path for culturing a cell or a tissue, and realizes reduction in manufacturing cost and high integration property of a device. A cell culture system including an automatic culture device and an information processing device. The automatic culture device includes a plurality of types of closed system flow paths possible to be installed and removed, and a plurality of culture devices. The information processing device includes: an input device configured to receive, as an input, at least one piece of data selected from a group consisting of data of an identifier of a patient, data related to a transplantation method, data related to a type of cell, data related to the required number of cells, and data related to a treatment plan; an arithmetic device configured to select, based on the input data, from options of a cell culture method, the culture devices, and the closed system flow paths, the cell culture method, the culture device, and the closed system flow path to be used; and an output device configured to output a number of the closed system flow path to be used and a number of the culture device to be used.

The present disclosure provides a microfluidic device and system for measuring a composite electropharyngeogram (EPG) signal from a pool of multiple nematodes, wherein the composite EPG signal is measured from the pool of nematodes present in a single recording channel connected to two or more integrated electrodes. The microfluidic device includes an inlet port and outlet port directly connected to a single recording channel and two or more electrodes directly connected to the recording channel. The recording channel is configured to hold 10 to 10,000 nematodes.

A 3D microfluidic device for use as an in vitro lymph node is described. The microfluidic device has a body with a semi-circular inner wall and a first channel located adjacent along the semi-circular inner wall, the first channel corresponding to a subcapsular sinus region of a lymph node, a second channel located adjacent the first channel, the second channel corresponding to a reticular network, and a bottom cavity and top cavity, centrally located, corresponding to a paracortex and follicle of a lymph node, respectively. The various compartments of the device are separated by circumferentially and horizontally located rows of micro-pillars. A lab-on-a-chip device incorporating the microfluidic device is also described.

Example embodiments include a cell culture apparatus, methods for cell cultivation by using the cell culture apparatus, and a cell culture incubator comprising the cell culture apparatus. The cell culture apparatus comprises a plurality of cell culture modules arranged adjacent to each other. Each cell culture module comprises two or more culture medium reservoirs connected by two or more flow channels that go through a basal chamber arranged under an apical chamber. The apical and basal chambers are separated by a porous membrane. The basal chamber has a bottom part arranged higher than a bottom part of each of the culture medium reservoirs. The culture model comprises further a cavity under at least the bottom part of the basal chamber and at least one means for capturing at least one image from a bottom and/or top of the at least one cell culture module.

A microfluidic component used for measuring electrical impedance across a biological object, the component including a microfluidic space including a zone referred to as measurement zone, at least two electrodes arranged facing one another on each side of the measurement zone, the component being formed by assembling, along a longitudinal junction plane, at least two superposed layers referred to as lower layer and upper layer, the two layers each having at least one cavity, the two layers being assembled with one another in such a way as to position the two cavities facing one another in order to form the microfluidic space.