Research - Origami Tissue Engineering
Problem: Create a proof of concept for materials in an artificial liver. My job was to find and test the viability of different materials that would potentially end up being used in the creation of an artificial liver. They needed to be bio compatible, easily manufacturable, and ideally low cost.
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Challenges encountered:
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Complex Liver structure meant devices needed to be very small
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Creating consistent devices
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High pressure caused some devices to leak
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Habitability for liver cells
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One of the final iterations of the testing devices
Actions:
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Designed a mold for 3D printing to aid in consistent device manufacturing
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Used various laboratory equipment in the creation of the final iteration such as a vacuum desiccator and instron tensile tester​
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Through research and iteration, two main materials were chosen to create the main body of the test devices
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Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
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A silicon based biocompatible polymer often used in medical devices
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Nanoporous membrane
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Manufactured over 20 devices to be tested for cell habitability ​​
Testing PDMS on the Instron
Results:
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Proof of concept successful
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device advanced to new geometry, materials supported cell life for over a week​
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​General success in non leaking devices​ by creating a more structurally sound architecture through the use of epoxy and PDMS
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New geometry for further research created
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Paper on research presented at MicroTAS2016 conference in Dublin!
nanoporous membrane folded and ready for packaging