One-Dimensional Models for Cell Feeding in Micro-Channels

Lab-on-Chip technology is an emerging tool to obtain, culture and study different kinds of tissue models. In particular, concerning cardiac microtissues, it could be exploited to investigate cellular behavior in response to biomimetic stimulation (e.g., electrical and/or mechanical actuations). Cell culture in microfluidic chip, usually last several days. During this period of time, cells need feeding to stay alive, proliferate and organize. Different configurations and sizes of microchip features can cause non-uniform distribution of nutrients and wastes on chip, which must be taken into account in studying the response of cells to electrical and/or mechanical stimulations. A simple one-dimensional model of diffusion was used to simulate the concentration of a nutrient and a waste in a previously developed microfluidic chip. For quasi-steady processes, analytical solutions were obtained and analyzed.