A microfluidic device for the characterisation of embolisation with polyvinyl alcohol beads through biomimetic bifurcations

A microfluidic based device has been developed for the characterisation of embolisation behaviour with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel beads within a microchannel network with bifurcations which mimic the blood vessel network. Both distal and proximal embolisations were achieved within the PMMA-made microdevice exhibiting comparable embolisation characteristics with those observed in vivo. Results showed that small beads allowed more distal embolisations with a reduced control of the spatial location of occlusion sites. In contrast, large beads generated effective proximal embolisations with an improved reproducibility of embolisation performance. Embolic bead hydrodynamics, partitioning at bifurcations, penetration through microchannels and embolisation locations across the channel network were characterised by quantifying the effects of embolic bead size, bead concentration, channel geometry and fluidic conditions. This development provided further insights into the physical principles governing embolisation performances within the constructed microdevices allowing the improvement of the predictability and controllability of the clinical process outcomes. Furthermore, it can potentially provide a useful platform for preclinical research as an alternative to animal models, with an ultimate goal to reduce the amount of animal testing.