Figure 3
Recovery efficiency from the microdevices. (a) The microdevice was divided into three different regions for the analysis: the triangular regions on both ends of the central microchamber and the rectangular region flanked by the pillars. (b) Green-fluorescent FluoSpheres were embedded in a collagen hydrogel and confined in the central chamber of the microdevice. An 8 mg/ml collagenase solution was pipetted through the lateral microchannels and incubated at room temperature for 12 minutes. Images show the FluoSpheres before pipetting the collagenase solution and 12 minutes after addition of collagenase solution. (c) The area with remaining FluoSpheres was quantified for the central and distal regions and compared. Differences between distal and central regions were statistically significant at every time point excluding t = 0 (n = 3 and p < 0.0001, as found via two-way ANOVA and post-hoc Bonferroni tests).
