Diluting & mixing at the nanoscale for Organ-on-a-chip applications

Abstract

In this project, we designed, fabricated, and characterized a serpentine-shaped organ-on-a-chip (OoC) device. The device aims to model the effects of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) on muscle tissue. A 6 · 10−3 mg · mL−1 dilution of Rhodamine B fluorophore in MilliQ water was used to simulate liver medium, while Milli-Q water represented the muscle medium. Mixing efficiency was evaluated under different inlet liver pressures using fluorescence microscopy and Gaussian fitting of intensity profiles. The results showed that lower inlet pressures improved mixing, consistent with theoretical predictions for laminar flow regimes. Complete homogenization was observed immediately before the muscle chamber. Experimental limitations, such as unfocused images and fluorescence background from tubing, affected data quality. Nevertheless, with improved techniques, this device could be fully characterized