Development of a Microfluidic Chip with Integrated Hydrogel Membranes for Tissue Engineering Applications

Inhalt:
The integration of permeable hydrogel membranes into microfluidic glass chips enables novel applications in tissue engineering by mimicking capillary-like mass transport in vitro. This work describes a seamless process for fabricating fused silica chips and directly integrating hydrogel membranes using a single femtosecond laser system. This unification of Selective Laser-Induced Etching (SLE) and Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) in one workflow eliminates system changes and enables precise alignment between rigid chip structures and soft functional membranes. The membranes are polymerized directly within structured microchannels sealed by a laser-welded glass lid. This allows for tunable and mechanically stable membrane structures embedded in a biocompatible, rigid substrate. The work focuses on the process development, material behavior during integration, and membrane positioning within the chip.