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In Situ Patterning of Microfluidic Networks in 3D Cell‐Laden Hydrogels
Author(s) -
Brandenberg Nathalie,
Lutolf Matthias P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201601099
Subject(s) - microfluidics , self healing hydrogels , nanotechnology , materials science , in situ , biocompatible material , laser ablation , computer science , laser , biomedical engineering , engineering , chemistry , physics , optics , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry
Focalized short‐pulsed lasers have sufficient power to generate micrometer‐sized cavities in various hydrogels. An in situ technique based on laser ablation to fabricate intricate microfluidic networks in biocompatible gels without manual handling is presented. This method is fully compatible with 3D cell culture and opens up unprecedented opportunities for cell biology, developmental biology, and stem‐cell‐based tissue engineering.