Synthesis of cell-laden alginate hollow fibers using microfluidic chips and microvascularized tissue-engineering applications

Synthesis of cell-laden alginate hollow fibers was demonstrated using microfluidic chips and micro-vascularized tissue-engineering applications. Alginate was used due to its certain advantages over other biological hydrogels like hyaluronic acid, fibrin, agar, gelatin, and chitosan. The properties of synthesized fibers were evaluated by determining the mechanical strength. The fluidic device used in the study consisted a pre-perforated poly(dimethylsiloxane) structures and two pulled and one normal glass pipette. Three fluids were added through three separate inlets - a core fluid, a sample fluid, and sheath fluid to produce the alginate hollow fibers. This method allowed the materials to be loaded stably and uniformly within the hollow fibers. It was observed that the alginate hollow fibers could be produced continuously using a microfluidic chips.