3D Microelectrode Integration in Muscle-on-Chip device

The current drug development process is a costly effort both in terms of budget and time. Organ-on-Chip (OoC) technologies are rapidly developing and are used for various applications and studies that aim to reduce the costs of this process. They represent the convergence between tissue engineering and microfluidic technology to provide...

Portable microfluidic chip perfusion and heating solution for high-magnification optical microscopy

A stage heater for inverted optical microscopy was developed as an add-on to TU Delft portable integrated microfluidic platform. The platform was modified to gain additional functionality and portability. The stage heater was designed to work with custom PDMS microfluidic chips and commercial polymer chips which highlights the adaptability of...

Two-photon polymerization-based 3D-multi-electrode arrays for electrical monitoring of neuronal cells

3D-multi-electrode arrays (3D-MEAs) are needed to overcome the limitations of 2D-multi-electrode arrays (2D-MEAs) and enable the electrical characterization of 3D neuronal cultures in in vitro brain models, advancing the understanding of neurological disorders and paving the way to personalized medicine. The aim of this thesis was to overcome...

Towards a read-out for capacitive displacement sensor in an engineered heart tissue device

Engineered Heart Tissues (EHTs) are a valuable approach enabled by Organ-on-Chip (OoC) technology to model human cardiac tissue. These small microfluidic devices allow the culture and development of living cardiac cells in 3D structures, to reproduce tissue dynamics and functionality in-vitro, thus fostering the development of new and more...

Design of a membrane for a lung-on-a-chip device: Design and testing of a membrane concept incorporating a dynamic pore size to study the alveolar-capillary barrier in vitro

In vitro models are fundamental in the study of cell behaviour, the physiological function of organs, and their response to drugs and toxins. However, the shortage of accurate and reliable in vitro models calls for the development of in vitro lung models that better recapitulate lung physiology and pathology. Lung-on- a-chip models are promising...

Characterization and Processing of Elastomers for Organ-on-Chip Applications

The current standard for organ-on-chip substrate materials is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). PDMS has many beneficial properties such as biocompatibility, transparency, elasticity, and easy prototyping. The main disadvantages of PDMS are its hydrophobicity (reducing cell attachment and cell proliferation), quick hydrophobic recovery (within a few...

OoC-integrated impedance spectroscopy for blood-brain barrier integrity analysis

The lack of reliable human physiology models in vitro combined with an ever-increasing set of health and safety requirements imposed by pharmaceutical regulatory agencies across the world is causing a concerningly low number of new drugs to reach the market. Organ-on-Chip (OoC) technology aims to aid faster development of new drugs by providing...

A multi-organ-on-chip platform with integrated oxygen and TEER sensors for the brain-gut axis

Predicting the effects of drugs before human clinical trails is at the heart of drug discovery and screening processes. To overcome limitations of conventional models used in pre-clinical research stages, advancements in fabrication, microfluidics, tissue engineering and sensor development allow for platforms that ever more closely emulate human...

An electronic nose for solid stool detection: eNose - Hardware

This document reports details the development of a solid stool detection system. On behalf of Momo Medical - a TU Delft-based startup company - a device for detecting defecates by elderly people has been designed. The goal of the detection system is to detect solid stools by elderly patients wearing a diaper and to notify the nurses in a nursing...

eNose: An electronic nose for solid stools detection: Software perspective

This report details the software part of the development process of the eNose technology. The technology is posed by Momo Medical. Momo Medical is a start-up company located in Delft, it provides and develops non-intrusive monitoring systems in the nursing sector. The project is the next step in an already existing product: BedSense. BedSense...

Integration of electro-chemical FET-based sensors in silicon- and polymer-based organs-on-chip

Currently, preclinical drug testing and disease modelling are based on static cell cultures and animal models that often fail at predicting the human pathophysiology. Alternatively, Organ-on-Chips (OoCs), dynamic microphysiological platforms, can be employed to recapitulate organ functions and mimic the cell's microphysiological environment....

Improving the reliability of pressure ulcer prevention by sensing human bio-signals: Analysis of using piezoelectric sensors to sense respiration and heart rate

Pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores, are wounds that form when a person sits or lays in the same<br/>posture for an extended period of time. Continued pressure being applied to the same spot causes<br/>the skin to decay, possibly continuing into underlaying tissue if the wounds are not treated. A common<br/>and proven practice to prevent...

Improving reliability of Force Sensing Resistors for a Pressure Ulcer Prevention System

Pressure ulcers develop when skin is subjected to a mechanical load over time, resulting in tissue damage. Within a wide range of patients, pressure ulcers occur, often accompanied by severe pain.<br/>This is resulting in a prolonged hospital stay. The company Momo Medical is developing a sensor plate<br/>with the goal of preventing pressure...