In vascular networks, the chemical compositions in blood vary from vessel to vessel, and change dynamically according to the body’s needs. Such spatiotemporal regulation of blood is facilitated by transports across vessel walls:  The molecular transport could differ between different blood vessels or even along different parts of the same vessel. Such level of spatiotemporal programmability of fluid compositions has not yet been replicated in synthetic fluidic channels.

Vascular network-inspired fluidics (VasFluidics)

In our work, we introduce a vascular network-inspired fluidic system (VasFluidics) in which the fluid components can be adjusted spatiotemporally through trans-wall transport. Facilitated by embedded 3D printing, soft tissue-like channel walls that are flexible (Young’s modulus = 1-­9 kPa) and thin (1-2 μm) are fabricated. The channel walls are selectively permeable and functionalizable with enzymes, and thus allow specific molecules to pass through or exchange. Physicochemical reactions can be localized to certain parts of the channels. We demonstrate the VasFluidics-enabled glucose absorption and metabolism. Our VasFluidics system represents a biomimetic platform for biomedical applications, such as in-vitro modeling of biological fluid mechanics, biomolecule synthesis, and drug screening. The fluid regulation strategy in VasFluidics promises to simplify and inspire new ways of fluid processing in existing fluidics.

See more details: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45781-3

Our Team

Our Microfluidics and Soft Matter Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong, focuses on emulsions, biomicrofluidics, biomedical engineering, and soft matter. See more information on our page: https://meweb.hku.hk/~ashum/anderson.html