Microfluidics for submicron alginate particle production
Armend Gazmeno Håti
Alginate is a naturally occurring polysaccharide synthesized in brown algae and certain bacteria genera. The biopolymer has become an important component in regenerative medicine by virtue of its biocompatibility and its neat ability to form hydrogels in presence of crosslinking agents (e.g. Ca2+). Alginate hydrogels consisting of around 98% water have for instance been used to microencapsulate transplanted insulin producing β-cells for treatment of diabetes type I [1,2]. Others have demonstrated the applicability of the polymer by production of chitosan-alginate scaffolds for tissue engineering purposes [3].
This study aims towards development of sophisticated microfluidic devices for production of submicron alginate particles/hydrogels, which may potentially serve as drug or contrast agent carriers. Further, these technologies may incorporate additional polymers (e.g. chitosan) to enhance the carriers swelling or drug release properties.
Figure 1. Production of micron-sized alginate hydrogels with a single- and multi-step emulsification technique
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[2] Berit L Strand, Yrr A Mørch, Kjersti R Syvertsen, Terje Espevik, and Gudmund SkjåkBræk. Microcapsules made by enzymatically tailored alginate. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 64A(3):540–550, February 2003.
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