Abstract
Bionic microscopic vessel models can contribute to the development of vascular treatment skills and techniques for clinical training. Most microscopic vessel models are limited to two dimensions, but three-dimensional (3D) models are important for surgery, such as on retina microscopic vessels, for the observation of colon microvessels, for measuring the deformability of red blood cell (RBC), and so on. Therefore, bionic 3D blood vessel models are increasingly in demand. For this reason, it is necessary to establish 3D fabrication techniques for microchannels. In this study, we established two fabrication methods for 3D microfluidic devices for the development of microscopic vessel models. First, we employed an exposure method using photolithographic technology. Second, we employed a 3D method using femtosecond laser and mask hybrid exposure (FMEx). Both methods made it possible to fabricate a millimeter-scale 3D structure with a submicrometer resolution and achieve an easy injection of solution. This is because it was possible to fabricate typical microfluidic channels used for model inlet and outlet ports. Furthermore, in the FMEx method, we employed an acid-diffusion effect using a chemically amplified resist to form a circular channel cross-section. The acid-diffusion effect made it realizable to fabricate a smooth surface independent of the laser scanning line width. Thus, we succeeded in establishing two methods for the fabrication of bionic 3D microfluidic devices with microfluidic channels having diameters of 15–16 µm for mimicking capillary vessels.
Highlights
Developed medical technologies including operative procedures, through blood vessels, and medical equipment are quite rapidly evolving and becoming diverse
It is difficult to use the human body for training in new operative procedures or evaluations of new medical devices or to test a hypothesis, like the interaction between microvascular and circulating cells, because of ethical and safety problems
Instead of evaluations using the human body, they are conventionally conducted with animal samples [1]
Summary
Developed medical technologies including operative procedures, through blood vessels, and medical equipment are quite rapidly evolving and becoming diverse. It is difficult to use the human body for training in new operative procedures or evaluations of new medical devices or to test a hypothesis, like the interaction between microvascular and circulating cells, because of ethical and safety problems. It is difficult to ensure reproducibility of the results of training or evaluation of medical devices using animal samples. One solution to this problem is the use of a surgical simulator [2]. Microvascular simulators create the environments and conditions for surgical procedures with the goal of improving procedures with the goal of improving operative skills and patient safety [3], and can be used fMoircrtohmeacehvinaelsu2a0t1i8o,n9,o1f01medical equipment, such as endoscopic imaging systems, or testing a hypot2heofsi1s4 of interaction between microvascular and circulating cells. We de2s.iMgnicerdoflmuiidcircoCchhaannnneleDlsefsoigrnmanidmCicoknicnepgt blood vessels, such as colonic and intraocular retinal microvascular vWeesdseeslsig,nweditmhitcwroochcaonnnenlsecfotriomnimpiockrtinsgabslothode vineslesetlsa,nsudchouastlceotlofnoirc tahned flinutriadocfluolawr r.eWtinealsimplified the shape omsifmictprholievfiaecsdocumtlhaepr slvheeaxspsaeelcsot,fuwtahielthbcotlwmooopdlceoxvnaencsetucsteaioll,nbalopsoodsrthsvoeaswssentlh, eiansinsFlheiotgwaunnrdeino2Fu.itglWeutreefo2dr.etWhveeelfdoluepvideeldoflpotewwd.otWwfoeabrication methods fofarbr3icDaticonapmileltahroydsvfeosrs3eDlsc:ap(1il)lapryhvoetsoselilsth: (o1g) rpahpothoylithwogitrhapthryanwsitfhertratonsfaer3tDo -ap3rDin-pteridntemd odel and (2) femtoseMmcicorodnmedalchalinnaedss e2(02r1)8a,fen9,mdx tFomOsReacPsoEknEdRhRlyaEsVbeIrEiWadndexmpaosksuhyrebr(idFMexpEoxs)u.re (FMEx)
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