Microfluidic chips in situ photopolymerization

The PRIMO technology provides the ability to structure UV sensitive hydrogels inside microchannels.

Unrivalled performances  

  • Creation of hydrogel structures inside microfluidic channels thanks to contactless photopolymerization
  • Tune the composition of the photo sensitive hydrogel to create various permeabilities

Creation of hydrogel structures inside microfluidic channels

With our PRIMO projection device, you can polymerize any shape of photosensitive hydrogels within the channels of a microchip. It provides an easy and rapid workflow to design in situ structures.

In this study, PRIMO was used to design hydrogel hydrodynamic traps inside already existing microchannels in a microchip. They were able to capture bioreactors (EVµBR) for studying extracellular vesicles released by the immobilized breast cancer tumor spheroids.

Maskless elaboration of hydrodynamic traps for EVμBR capture, X. Rima et al., Lab on a chip, 2022.

Thanks to the maskless concept of Primo, one can design rapidly and accurately a maskless UV pattern, for rapid photo-polymerization of hydrogels of any shape within the channels of microfluidic chips.

Schematic protocol for making hydrogel membranes in a multi-level PDMS chip. H ' 85 µm, e ' 65 µm, and h ' 20 µm. (b) Hydrogel microstructure photo-patterned inside a PDMS channel of height 20 µm, the smallest width is 10 µm, scale bar 50 µm. (c) Long hydrogel membrane (9.1 mm) of width 25 µm inside a PDMS channel (height 20 µm). Scale bars 150 µm and 2 mm. H. Nguyen Lab on a Chip, 2020.

Tune the composition of the photo sensitive hydrogel to create various permeabilities

With PRIMO, it is possible to change the composition of polymers in order to obtain various porousness in your hydrogel mix.

Down below, they report the in situ photo-patterning of pressure-resistant hydrogel membranes with controlled permeabilities. They were able to polymerize such hydrogel membranes with precise shapes and large permeabilities inside a large microchip.

Different hydrogel micro-structures patterned in a microfluidic channel using a 20X objective (height h = 15 µm). (a) hydrogel disks with diameters: ' 50, 33, 20, 12, and 5 µm. (b) CNRS logo, size of the square 190×190 µm2. (c) Thin hydrogel micro-structure (width wm = 25 µm) with an exotic shape, photo-patterned on a large scale. Lab on a chip, J.Decock et al., 2018.

Do you have a question about your project of experiment with PRIMO?

Our research and application development team can help you set up or optimize your experimental protocols!

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3D Cell Culture
Cell behavior on topological cues
Cell force measurements
Combining approaches
Disease modeling
Functionalization of hydrogels
Grayscale photolithography
Microstructured substrate
Organ-on-chip production
Spheroids and organoids microwells
Intracellular mechanisms
Neurons and Guidance
Cell positioning for Cryo-ET
Cell migration
3D Cell Culture
Cell behavior on topological cues
Cell force measurements
Combining approaches
Disease modeling
Functionalization of hydrogels
Grayscale photolithography
Microstructured substrate
Organ-on-chip production
Spheroids and organoids microwells
Intracellular mechanisms
Neurons and Guidance
Cell positioning for Cryo-ET
Cell migration

Controlling
the cellular
microenvironment

Alvéole has developed innovative solutions adapted to all standard cell culture substrates, rigid or soft, in 2D or 3D.

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Resource Center

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Testimonials

Our users describe their research projects and explain why they chose to use PRIMO!

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