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MICROFLUIDIC PACK FOR ARTIFICIAL CELL CREATION

CHECK VALVE SYSTEM PACK FOR RECIRCULATION

Flow control for long-term unidirectional microfluidic experiments
UP TO 3 WEEKS LONG TERM PERFUSION

Unidirectionnal flow rate from 7 nL/min to 5 mL/min

SETUP COMPATIBLE WITH INCUBATION

The fluid stays in the incubator removing risks of bubble formation

PASSIVE VALVES, NO BACKFLOW

Low clogging risk

EASILY STACKABLE FOR PARALLELIZATION

No need for usb or electrical connection

Check valve recirculation pack

Recirculation has never been so easy thanks to our new passive recirculation bridge, which is composed of four check valves that allow a unidirectional flow with great stability for at least 2 weeks, depending on the fluid and flow rate used. Results obtained with unidirectional flow are more relevant for most experiments than back-and-forth flows.

 

The recirculation bridge is suitable for recirculation using a pressure-driven flow controller.

You may also perform recirculation with existing instruments, such as the MUX recirculation (Elveflow), or using active valves.

 

Here is a comparison with the usually used active valves:

Check valves comparison table

The recirculation bridge comprises four passive check valves connected to allow the flow to always be in the same direction inside the connected microfluidic chip when pressurizing the first or second reservoir.

 

Therefore, the recirculation principle using this check valve bridge is to pressurize the first reservoir until it is nearly empty, then stop and start pressurizing the second reservoir. This allows the microfluidic chip to always be under unidirectional flow.

Check valve recirculation pack setup

Our all-in-one pack guarantees perfect compatibility between different instruments so you can start your experiment right away. The system is piloted by a single software that may also be used for other applications. We also provide continuous and full customer support for you to get the best results out of your experiments.

check valves recirculation bridge setup

Check valve recirculation pack includes: 

  • Pressure-driven flow controller
  • Two eppendorf or Falcon reservoirs
  • Recirculation bridge (Check valves)
  • Tubing and luers
  • Any microfluidic chip
  • Can include a microfluidic flow sensor (eg. Galileo
  • Software (Galileo user interface)
  • User guides

Check the video below and this application note, explaining how to assemble the recirculation bridge and set up your recirculation system. 

The fluid take a different path depending on the reservoir being pressurized but the flow in the chip is always in the same direction:

From reservoir 1 to reservoir 2: 

check valves recirculation bridge direction from reservoir 1 to reservoir 2

From reservoir 2 to reservoir 1: 

check valves recirculation bridge direction from reservoir 2 to reservoir 1

Bridge assembly video

Microfluidic recirculation applications

Recirculation in microfluidics is mainly used for long-term cell cultures. Tension, compression, and shear stress are physiologically important regulators of in vivo cell responses. It is especially important for mimicking blood vessels and intestinal physiological conditions. 

 

Fluid flow over cells cultured in microfluidic perfusion chambers provides mechanical stimuli that are not reproduced when performing cell culture in Petri dishes. Recirculation can also be critical when using very expensive fluids.

 

Some applications of check valve recirculation in cell culture include:

  • Tissue-on-chip models requiring the analysis of molecules produced in low concentration
  • Cell culture experiments supplemented with expensive media compounds
  • Experiments requiring high amounts of media, including long term cell culture, and the effect of medium to high shear stress
  • And many more!
medium recirculation microscope picture
MCF7 cells grown with continuous medium recirculation (10 µL/min, 24 h). Stained with Hoechst/ rhodamine phalloidin (fixed with PFA, 4%, permeabilized with BSA, 1%/ Triton X, 0.1%).

With an expertise in microfluidic flow control for more than 10 years, we can provide you with state-of-the-art microfluidic systems. From biology to engineering applications, the Microfluidics Innovation Center is the perfect partner for you to get started with microfluidics.

Customize your recirculation pack

Our instruments are compatible with standard commercialized chips from different brands.

Our Packs can be modified depending on your specific needs. Our microfluidic specialists will advise you on which instruments and accessories are best for you, depending on your needs, and will accompany you during the setup of the microfluidic platform.

 

– Check our other Packs for various applications –

Funding and Support

The ALTERNATIVE project helped develop this pack. 

This project is funded by the European Union’s H2020-LC-GD-2020-3, grant agreement No. 101037090 (ALTERNATIVE).

 

Products & Associated Accessories

Talk to our experts

Galielo team