A Practical Method for Patterning Lumens through ECM Hydrogels via Viscous Finger Patterning

Photochemical Patterning of Ionically Cross-Linked Hydrogels

Iron(III) cross-linked alginate hydrogel incorporating sodium lactate undergoes photoinduced degradation, thus serving as a biocompatible positive photoresist suitable for photochemical patterning. Alternatively, surface etching of iron(III) cross-linked hydrogel contacting lactic acid solution can be used for controlling the thickness of the photochemical pattering. Due to biocompatibility, bo...

Photolithographic patterning of polyethylene glycol hydrogels.

A simple, inexpensive photolithographic method for surface patterning deformable, solvated substrates is demonstrated using photoactive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-diacrylate hydrogels as model substrates. Photolithographic masks were prepared by printing the desired patterns onto transparencies using a laser jet printer. Precursor solutions containing monoacryloyl-PEG-peptide and photoinitiato...

Patterning and Processing of Thermosensitive Hydrogels for Microfluidics Applications

Hydrogels have been an active area of research for a variety of applications due to their ability to retain large volumes of water within their polymer gel networks. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels provide the added advantage of the ability to control the water retention by means of external stimuli. For example, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) is a thermosensitive hydrogel that exhibits a Lower Cr...

Nonconventional Method of Polymer Patterning

Patterning of cell-instructive hydrogels by hydrodynamic flow focusing.

Microfluidic gradient systems offer a very precise means to probe the response of cells to graded biomolecular signals in vitro, for example to model how morphogen proteins affect cell fate during developmental processes. However, existing gradient makers are designed for non-physiological plastic or glass cell culture substrates that are often limited in maintaining the phenotype and function ...