A simplified yet enhanced and versatile microfluidic platform for cyclic cell stretching on an elastic polymer

Abstract While the microfluidic chips for cell stretching and real-time cell observations have so far been composed of three layers, the present work reports a two-layer one, which is, on the surface, not available due to the ‘inherent’ difficulty of unstable focusing on cells in the microscopic observation under the stretching operation, etc. Herein, this difficulty was overcome to a large extent, in the case of appropriate device parameters, which were determined based upon finite element analysis and orthogonal experimental design. The novel chip was fabricated and confirmed to work in frequency up to 2 Hz and stretching ratio up to 20%. We further performed uniaxial stretching experiments of human mesenchymal stem cells on an elastic polymer, polydimethylsiloxane, and the cells were found to be highly oriented perpendicular to the stretching direction. The short working distance on this simplified two-layer chip enabled clear observation of microtubules and stress fibers of cells under an optical microscope. We also tested radial stretching and gradient stretching as proofs of concept of the extendibility of this type of chip. Therefore, in spite of being simpler, the two-layer chip suggested in this study exhibited enhanced and versatile functions, and the present work has thus afforded a new methodology of fabrication of microfluidic chips for the study of cells on biomaterials under a mechanical stimulus.