Efficient mixing in microfluidic systems is bottlenecked by laminar flow and diffusion-dominated transport, limiting the performance of biochemical assays such as conversion rates of enzymatic processes. Here, we present an acoustofluidic micromixer based on two-photon polymerization (2PP)-printed three-dimensional microneedles that act as ultrasonic microresonators to generate localized acoustic streaming. The freeform arrangement of the microneedles […]
Purpose Surface micropatterning is being explored as a strategy to mitigate thrombus formation and reduce long-term anticoagulation requirements in left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). This study investigated whether specific micro-topographies can modulate platelet deposition under LVAD supraphysiological wall shear stress (WSS) conditions. Materials and Methods A custom microfluidic platform was developed to generate a linear […]
Chromosome-less minicells, derived from aberrant polar division events of bacterial cells, have emerged as promising nanocarriers for targeted cancer drug delivery due to their unique characteristics. A major challenge in their purification process lies in effectively isolating such spherical minicells (< 1 μm) from their rod-shaped parental cells (1–10 μm). This study investigates the use of […]
The matrix pencil method (MPM) is an approach for quantitative analysis of the multi-exponential time-domain signals from relaxation and diffusion NMR experiments. In contrast to other signal processing methods, MPM relies on solving the generalized eigenvalue problem of a so-called matrix pencil, resulting in discrete values representing the different relaxation species. In this work, the […]
Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is a minimally invasive technique used to treat hypervascular tumors, hemorrhage, and vascular abnormalities. Though microspheres (MSs) have achieved widespread clinical use as embolic agents, they often lack imaging opacity, optimal morphology and mechanical properties which can lead to unpredictable trajectories, non-target delivery, and suboptimal embolization. This study developed tantalum-loaded calcium […]
This study reports the proof-of-concept demonstration of novel, additively manufactured, droplet-emitting electrospray emitter arrays for CubeSat thruster applications. The modular thruster design incorporates multiscale features by employing two different vat photopolymerization technologies, i.e., digital light processing for defining mesoscale features, and two-photon polymerization for creating microscale features. The thruster design includes optimized, 50 µm-diameter microfluidic […]
The high mortality associated with certain cancers can be attributed to the invasive nature of the tumor cells. Yet, the complexity of studying invasion hinders our understanding of how the tumor spreads. This work presents a microengineered three-dimensional (3D) in vitro model for studying cancer cell invasion and interaction with endothelial cells. The model was […]
Since the inception of 3D printing in the 1980s, there have been remarkable advancements that have given rise to a wide array of technologies. In the field of bioprinting, many of these technologies are being leveraged to embed living cells into precisely defined 3D structures. Droplet- and extrusion-based bioprinting, two of the earliest techniques, have […]
Imaging the structure and observing the dynamics of isolated proteins using single-particle X-ray diffractive imaging (SPI) is one of the potential applications of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). Currently, SPI experiments on isolated proteins are limited by three factors: low signal strength, limited data and high background from gas scattering. The last two factors are largely […]
Purpose Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) imparts physical stress on the oolemma of the oocyte and remains among the most technically demanding skills to master, with success rates related to experience and expertise. ICSI is also time-consuming and requires workflow management in the laboratory. This study presents a device designed to reduce the pressure on the […]
