Beyond mobile phone displays: Flat panel display technology for biomedical applications

Microelectronic Engineering, vol. 277, pp. 112016

Abstract

Organ-on-Chips (OoCs) have emerged as a human-specific experimental platform for preclinical research and therapeutics testing that will reduce the cost of pre-clinical drug development, provide better physiological relevance and replace animal testing. Yet, the lack of standardization and cost-effective fabrication technologies can hamper wide-spread adoption of OoCs. In this work we validate the use of flat panel display (FPD) technology as an enabling and cost-effective technology platform for biomedical applications by demonstrating facile integration of key OoC modules like microfluidics and micro electrode arrays (MEAs) in the standardized 96-well plate format. Individual and integrated modules were tested for their biological applicability in OoCs. For microelectrode arrays we demonstrate 90–95% confluency, 3 days after cell seeding and >70% of the initial mitochondrial cell activity for microfluidic devices. Thus highlighting the biocompatibility of these modules fabricated using FPD technology. Furthermore, we provide two examples of monolithically integrated microfluidics and microelectronics, i.e. integrated electronic valves and integrated MEAs, that showcase the strength of FPD technology applied to biomedical device fabrication. Finally, the merits and opportunities provided by FPD technology are discussed through examples of advanced structures and functionalities that are unique to this enabling platform.

Authors 9

1. Alfredo Mameli

   Holst Centre (Netherlands)

   Affiliation as printed

   TNO/Holst Centre, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, the Netherlands

2. Hylke B. Akkerman

   Holst Centre (Netherlands)

   Affiliation as printed

   TNO/Holst Centre, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, the Netherlands

3. Sandra González‐Lana

   Universidad de Zaragoza · Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón

   Affiliation as printed

   BEONCHIP S.L., CEMINEM, Campus Rio Ebro. C./Mariano Esquillor Gómez s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

   Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, C./Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

4. Héctor Alfonso Castro-Abril
   Affiliation as printed

   BEONCHIP S.L., CEMINEM, Campus Rio Ebro. C./Mariano Esquillor Gómez s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

5. Kim Le Cann Aachen Institute of Physiology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Physiology (Neurophysiology), Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

6. Angelika Lampert Aachen Institute of Physiology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Physiology (Neurophysiology), Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

7. Gerwin H. Gelinck

   Holst Centre (Netherlands)

   Affiliation as printed

   TNO/Holst Centre, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, the Netherlands

8. Auke Jisk Kronemeijer

   Holst Centre (Netherlands)

   Affiliation as printed

   TNO/Holst Centre, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, the Netherlands

9. Albert J. J. M. van Breemen corresponding

   Holst Centre (Netherlands)

   Affiliation as printed

   TNO/Holst Centre, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, the Netherlands