Incorporation of Plant Architectures within Microfluidic Devices

One of the most significant challenges in microfluidics and tissue engineering is the efficient delivery of fluids and solutes throughout the system. Many natural organisms have already developed a solution to this problem, in the form of active or passive circulatory systems. This research focuses on developing a procedure for creating a PDMS microfluidic device with a pre-existing system: venation in plant leaves taken directly from nature. Such a device has great potential as synthetic vascular scaffold for tissue engineering purposes, as the geometry allows effective transport, but is still relatively planar, making it more adaptable to microfabrication processes. In this work, the surface topography and vein cross-section from both the leaves and molds were characterized, along with the fluid flow within the channels. An effective method of isolating a leaf’s vasculature was additionally found and evaluated. Although there are some limitations in alignment, resulting in an altered cross-sectional morphology and fluid flow, the individual portions of the mold effectively capture the dimensions and patterning of the vasculature.