3D printed alginate bead generator for high-throughput cell culture

• Published in: Biomedical microdevices Vol. 23; no. 2; p. 22
• Main Authors: Lee, Donghee, Greer, Sydney E., Kuss, Mitchell A., An, Yang, Dudley, Andrew T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air flow; Alginates; Alginic acid; Beads; Biological and Medical Physics; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedical research; Biophysics; Cell culture; Cell Culture Techniques; Chondrocytes; Engineering; Engineering Fluid Dynamics; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Hydrogels; Laboratories; Nanotechnology; Nozzles; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Technical education; Three dimensional printing; 3D cell culture; Droplet generator; 3D printing; Alginate hydrogel; Chondrocytes
• ISSN: 1387-2176; 1572-8781
• DOI: 10.1007/s10544-021-00561-4

Alginate hydrogel beads are a common platform for generating 3D cell cultures in biomedical research. Simple methods for bead generation using a manual pipettor or syringe are low-throughput and produce beads showing high variability in size and shape. To address these challenges, we designed a 3D printed bead generator that uses an airflow to cleave beads from a stream of hydrogel solution. The performance of the proposed alginate bead generator was evaluated by changing the volume flow rates of alginate (
Q
Alg
) and air (
Q
A
), the diameter of device nozzle (
d
) and the concentration of alginate gel solution (
C
). We identified that the diameter of beads (
D
 = 0.9 -2.8 mm) can be precisely controlled by changing
Q
A
and
d
. Also the bead generation frequency (
f
) can be tuned by changing
Q
Alg
. Finally, we demonstrated that viability and biological function (pericellular matrix deposition) of chondrocytes were not adversely affected by high
f
using this bead generator. Because 3D printing is becoming a more accessible technique, our unique design will allow greater access to average biomedical research laboratories, STEM education and industries in cost- and time-effective manner.