Ghoreishi Maryamsadat, Peruzzi Giovanna, Iafrate Lucia, Cidonio Gianluca, D'Abbondanza Noemi, Ruocco Giancarlo, Leonetti Marco, Reale Riccardo
Center for Life Nano- and Neuro- Sciences, Italian Institute of Technology, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Department of Basic and Applied Science for Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome 00161 Rome, Italy.
HardwareX. 2025 Mar 4;22:e00638. doi: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00638. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Lab-on-chip technologies frequently require biological samples, such as cells or microorganisms, to be maintained inside a syringe for prolonged periods of time during operations. Challenges include preventing cell sedimentation, ensuring cell viability, and maintaining buffer rheological properties (i.e. viscosity and density) constant, particularly in applications like 3D bioprinting and diagnostic assays. To address these challenges, we have developed the Syringe Electromagnetic Controller (SEC), an integrated system capable of simultaneously stirring and thermoregulating samples inside a syringe. SEC prevents sedimentation through the cyclic movement of a magnet actuated by an electromagnetic field, while maintaining a stable temperature (within ± 0.5 °C from a set-point) with a feedback loop. The system is compact, cost-effective, and easily integrated into various setups. Experimental validation shows that SEC effectively keeps living cells in suspension and at a constant temperature without compromising cell viability. Thus, we have ultimately demonstrated the functionality of SEC as a versatile solution for enhancing the reliability of lab-on-chip applications.
芯片实验室技术在操作过程中常常需要将生物样本（如细胞或微生物）长时间保存在注射器内。挑战包括防止细胞沉降、确保细胞活力以及保持缓冲液流变特性（即粘度和密度）恒定，特别是在3D生物打印和诊断检测等应用中。为应对这些挑战，我们开发了注射器电磁控制器（SEC），这是一种能够同时搅拌和调节注射器内样本温度的集成系统。SEC通过由电磁场驱动的磁体的循环运动来防止沉降，同时通过反馈回路保持稳定的温度（与设定点的偏差在±0.5°C以内）。该系统结构紧凑、成本效益高，并且易于集成到各种装置中。实验验证表明，SEC能有效地使活细胞保持悬浮状态并处于恒定温度，同时不影响细胞活力。因此，我们最终证明了SEC作为一种通用解决方案可增强芯片实验室应用的可靠性。
