MIT Summer Research Program

Summer 2022

Aorta-on-a-Chip

Overview

Developing an organ-on-a-chip device to determine the impact of ECMO life-support on the aorta

Skills

  • Computer Aided Design (SolidWorks)

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations

  • Microfluidic Device Fabrication (PDMS)

  • Cell Culture: MDA-MB- 231 cancer cells

  • Fluorescent Microscopy (NIS-Elements) & Image Analysis (ImageJ)

Purpose

Despite widespread use of ECMO, there is limited understanding of the impact of the mixing zone on vasculature cells

Goal

Determine the impact of ECMO on aortic vasculature

Approach

Develop a device to simulate the shear stress and flow conditions experienced by cells in the aorta during ECMO

Design & Simulations

Created several channel designs using CAD and conducted preliminary CFD simulations to determine the designs that would best replicate conditions within the aorta under 3 experimental flow conditions