A microfluidic lab chip for the manipulation and co-culturing of embryos with stromal cells

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Chemical, 2021-12, Vol.349, p.130820, Article 130820
• Main Authors: Chen, Yu-Shih, Lo, Tzu-Wei, Huang, Hong-Yuan, Li, Lien-Min, Wang, Yi-Wen, Yao, Da-Jeng, Hsu, Wen-Syang, Liu, Cheng-Hsien
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomimetics; Channels; Co-culture; Dynamic perfusion; Embryo chip; Embryos; Grooves; In vitro fertilization; Infertility; Microfluidics; Passive trapping; Trapping; Uterus
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2021.130820

The combination of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and microfluidic technology might provide a solution to infertility via increasing the success rate of IVF. Our microfluidic embryo lab chip takes advantage of passive trapping for embryo manipulation and dynamic perfusion for co-cultivation. The embryos were gently captured one by one by the passive trapping system to the groove. The medium in the liquid-pushing channels pushed the captured embryos to the G-shape co-culture chambers. The embryo manipulation was designed to push the 2-cell embryo and the mature embryo forwards and backward in/out of the co-culture chamber on desire. The perfused channels provided the thrust for the embryo manipulation and the dynamic perfusion through the holes on the middle-layer porous PDMS membrane. The embryos were co-cultured with stromal cells to provide the biomimetic microenvironment for embryo growth/development. We observed at least a several-hours faster growth/development rate of embryos for on-chip culture than the traditional droplet culture method. The blastocyst development rate of our on-chip embryo co-culture group increased by 16.1% than that of the off-chip co-culture group on E3.5. The mid-blastocyst embryos in our on-chip co-culture group were transplanted back into the uterus of the female mouse for confirmation of our chip development. •The embryo lab chip takes advantage of passive trapping for embryo manipulation and dynamic perfusion for co-cultivation.•The embryos were co-cultured for sake of providing the biomimetic microenvironment for in-vitro embryo development.•The mid-blastocyst embryos out of our co-culture chip were transplanted back into the uterus of the female mouse.•18.5 days after transplantation, embryos were verified to be successfully implanted in the uterus of the female mouse.