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Figure 1

From: Leveraging magnetic resonance imaging to assess biocompatible scaffolds diffusion and flow-driven perfusion for lab-on-a-chip systems

Figure 1

Diffusion (Eppendorf) and flow-driven perfusion process (4-well microfluidic chip) of biocompatible scaffolds using a pre-clinical \(3\,T\) MRI scanner. (A) Schematic illustration of the experimental setup consisting of the scaffold under study (hydrogel or cryogel), heavy water, a \(0.5\,mL\) Eppendorf, a 4-well microfluidic platform, and a \(3\,T\) MRI scanner. For diffusion studies, we submerged the scaffolds (origin of the water proton signal) into the Eppendorf containing deuterium oxide (absence of signal). For flow-driven perfusion studies, we enclosed the scaffolds into the microfluidic chip wells and injected deuterium oxide from the microfluidic features of this. (B) Proton MRI coronal (green), sagittal (orange), and axial (blue) plane images of the 4-well microfluidic device filled with water using a T\(_1\)-FLASH MRI sequence. The planes are directly related to the microfluidic platform represented in panel (A).

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