A microfluidic device-on-a-chip engineered at the University of Toronto simulates lung airways for use in analyzing the detrimental impacts of air pollution on respiratory function.

Using Extractable Floating Liquid gel-based Organ-on-a-chip for Airway Tissue modeling under airflow (E-FLOAT), researchers can cultivate lung cells in a suspended hydrogel that resembles lung tissue. Assembled with micro-milled and bonded layers of thermoplastic, the device incorporates a special channel geometry to maintain cell viability, and when connected to an airflow system can produce different flow rates of warm, humid air to mimic human breathing.

Demonstration tests delivered airborne particles onto the airway cells via controlled airflow to examine how air pollutants would interact with lung cells. Unlike other microfluidic systems, E-FLOAT enables sample removal and off-chip analysis. Researchers effectively extracted the entire hydrogel and analyzed particulate and cell interactions.

“We showed that lung airway tissue can be micro-engineered in the lab, exposed to various environmental conditions, including airflow and pollutants, and then be extracted for further interrogation as if it were a real lung tissue sample,” said Edmond Young, associate professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering.

A paper on this research is published in Advanced Functional Materials.