Image credit: Choroidal vessels in the human eye with red blood cells. Peter Maloca. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
BLOOD-VESSEL-ON-CHIP PACK
Control the flow rate and profile with accuracy
Mimic what actually happens inside blood vessels
Circular tubules, monolayers, barrier models can be easily connected
Blood-vessel-on-chip setup
Microfluidics has gained relevance in cell biology due to its ability to replicate a more physiologically relevant microenvironment for cell and tissue assays. In this light, one of the microenvironments where flow is more prominent is inside blood vessels. Cells on the walls of blood vessels are subjected to elevated shear stress due to the blood flow rates.
Our blood-vessel-on-chip pack is designed to replicate the relevant flow rates found inside blood vessels with the flexibility of using the chip of your preference so you can better reproduce the tissue microenvironment of your interest. The OB1 pressure-driven flow controller (Elveflow), combined with a flow sensor, can provide a range of flow rates (from 0.5µl to 5ml/min) and flow profiles (linear, pulsatile, stepwise, etc.) to mimic the pathophysiological conditions found in the vasculature.
The unidirectional cellular perfusion module is a set of arranged valves that allows the recycling of the media, enabling its enrichment with metabolites, the preservation of conditioned media containing bioactive molecules, and the economy of large volumes of media in long-term experiments.
The level sensors, integrated into the smart culture tube rack, automate the experiment setup and changes between reservoirs. Also, in case of leakage, they stop the flow before the reservoirs become empty and air can reach the cells.
The blood-vessel-on-chip pack includes:
- OB1 flow controller (Elveflow)
- Microfluidic flow sensor (eg. Galileo)
- Several Falcon reservoirs
- Unidirectional cellular perfusion module
- Tubings and fittings
- Smart cell culture rack
- Microfluidic chip of your choice
- Software (Galileo user interface)
- User guide
Compatibility of blood-vessel-on-chip pack
Our blood-vessel-on-chip Pack was designed to be compatible with commercially available or homemade chips (specific adaptors might be required), the most common microscopy, and supernatant assays. If you work with a particular chip or assay not listed below, please get in touch with us!
Applications
Assays
- TEER
- Immunostaining of endothelial cell markers
- Albumin reabsorption
- 3D reconstructions
- Perfusion assay, using fluorescent dyes
- Pharmacokinetics assays
- Immunohistochemical and histopathological characterization
- Toxicity assays
- and more!
- Effects of shear stress and flow profile on endothelial cells
- Migration and evasion/invasion of circulating tumor cells
- Barrier structure and permeability
- Vascularisation
- Angiogenesis
If you want to know more about organ-on-a-chip technology, have a look at this review!
Customize your pack
We offer compatible instruments for standard commercialized chips from various brands. We can customize your pack to suit your specific needs with guidance from our specialists, who will suggest the best instruments and accessories. We’ll also help you set up the perfusion platform.
– Check our other Packs for various applications –
Can I order a pack?
Since Packs are products that are still being developed, we have a few eligibility criteria to maximize their success rate. A discussion with our experts is needed to determine your specific needs to offer you a personalized response.
Can the modules be sterilized/autoclaved?
The components of the setup can be sterilized. Our user guide provides detailed information on how to do it.
Can a pack be customized based on my specific application?
Yes! Our experts will establish which instruments are best suited for your application, such as the type of flow sensor or the number of flow controller channels you need to perform your experiment. Contact us using the “talk to our experts” green button above.
Can I buy individual instruments?
You can order the instruments on the product section of our website.
Funding and Support
The ALTERNATIVE and LIFESAVER projects helped develop this instrument pack.
These projects are funded by the European Union’s H2020-LC-GD-2020-3, grant agreements No. 101037090 (ALTERNATIVE) and 101036702 (LIFESAVER).