Design and development of a glass capillary microfluidic device for the preparation of perfluorocarbon-alginate core-shell microparticles

In this work we report the design and development of a glass capillary microfluidic system containing three concentric glass capillary tubes for the development of micron size core-shell particles for ultrasound triggered delivery. Ultrasound can enhance intracellular delivery of the active compounds promoting tissue uptake. It can further be used to promote healing, combined with delivery of bioactive agents, such as cells, signaling molecules, or genes, enhancing the healing processes. The development of ultrasound triggered delivery devices has not been extensively investigated for TERM applications. The set-up designed and presented in this work enables the preparation of perfluorocarbon-alginate core-shell microspheres in a single process avoiding the requirement for further extensive purification steps. The operating parameters influencing the particle size were studied and core-shell microspheres in the range of 110-130 mm were obtained. Perfluorocarbon-alginate particles demonstrated to be stable up to 21 days upon immersion in calcium chloride solution, or water. The mechanical stability of the particles is tested by injecting them through a 23 gauge needle into a polyacrylamide gel to mimic the tissue matrix. The integrity of the particles is maintained after the injection process and is disrupted after the ultrasound exposure for 15 minutes. The results suggest hereafter that the perfluorcarbon-alginate microparticles could be a promising system for the delivery of compounds.