Abstract
Hydrogels have several excellent characteristics suitable for biomedical use such as softness, biological inertness and solute permeability. Hence, integrating hydrogels into microfluidic devices is a promising approach for providing additional functions such as biocompatibility and porosity, to microfluidic devices. However, the poor mechanical strength of hydrogels has severely limited device design and fabrication. A tetra-poly(ethylene glycol) (tetra-PEG) hydrogel synthesized recently has high mechanical strength and is expected to overcome such a limitation. In this research, we have comprehensively studied the implementation of tetra-PEG gel into microfluidic device technology. First, the fabrication of tetra-PEG gel/PDMS hybrid microchannels was established by developing a simple and robust bonding technique. Second, some fundamental features of tetra-PEG gel/PDMS hybrid microchannels, particularly fluid flow and mass transfer, were studied. Finally, to demonstrate the unique application of tetra-PEG-gel-integrated microfluidic devices, the generation of patterned chemical modulation with the maximum concentration gradient: 10% per 20 μm in a hydrogel was performed. The techniques developed in this study are expected to provide fundamental and beneficial methods of developing various microfluidic devices for life science and biomedical applications.