Microfluidic device comprising silk films coupled to form a microchannel

• US 8,975,073 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated, Trustees of Tufts College
• Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated, Trustees of Tufts College
• Inventors: Borenstein, Jeffrey T., Bettinger, Chris, Kaplan, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Naff, David M
• Application Number:
  US11/944,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20090004737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,666 Days
• US Class Current: 435/395
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/163 Biocompatibility
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/058 Microfluidics not provided for in B81B2201/051 - B81B2201/054
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 99/0085 using moulds and master templates, e.g. for hot-embossing
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/16 Microfluidic devices; Capillary tubes integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; microreactors B01J19/0093
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/20 Material Coatings immunocoatings C12M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 25/02 Membranes; Filters filters or filtration in general B01D24/00-B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/10 Perfusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid

Abstract

A microfluidic device includes, in one embodiment, a first silk film coupled to a second silk film with at least one microchannel therebetween.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device, comprising first and second silk films coupled to define at least one microchannel there between, wherein at least a portion of the first silk film and at least a portion of the second silk film are bonded together by applying an aqueous silk fibroin solution to the surface of said first silk film, applying mechanical pressure to bring a surface of the second silk film into contact with the surface of the first silk film comprising said aqueous silk fibroin solution to form a composite, and heating said composite while applying mechanical pressure to form said microfluidic device.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second silk films comprises silk fibroin.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the microchannel is molded into the first silk film.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein a portion of a surface of the microchannel supports cell growth.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 4, wherein the portion of the surface of the microchannel supports the growth of cells in their native morphology.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 4, wherein eukaryotic cell growth is supported.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 4, wherein hepatocyte cell growth is supported.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the first and second silk films define a plurality of microchannels therebetween.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 8, wherein each microchannel has a diameter of less than 500 micrometers.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of microchannels are in fluidic communication.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of microchannels repeat a geometric pattern.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 11, wherein the repeated geometric pattern provides for a constant maximum shear stress at a steady volumetric flow rate within all the microchannels.

13. A method for transporting fluid, comprising:

providing the microfluidic device of claim 1 having first and second silk films coupled to define at least one microchannel therebetween, the microchannel comprising an inlet and an outlet; and

transporting fluid along the microchannel from the inlet to the outlet.

14. A method for growing cells, comprising:

providing the microfluidic device of claim 1 having first and second silk films coupled to define at least one microchannel therebetween;

flowing cell culture medium through the microchannel; and

seeding cells into the microchannel to allow the cells to adhere to a surface of the microchannel.

15. A method for treating tissue, comprising:

providing the microfluidic device of claim 1 having first and second silk films coupled to define at least one microchannel therebetween; and

applying the microfluidic device to tissue in vivo.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein applying the microfluidic device to the tissue results in regeneration of the tissue.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the tissue is epithelial tissue.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the tissue comprises at least one of epithelial cells, fibroblasts, or keratinocytes.