Development of a Prototype Gel-Based Lung System

Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Klunk, Danielle
- Area of Honors:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat, Thesis Supervisor
Justin Lee Brown, Thesis Honors Advisor
Daniel J Hayes, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- bioprinting
lung on a chip
microfluidic device
tissue engineering
cell culture - Abstract:
- Within a global context, the magnitude and prevalence of respiratory disease burdens millions of patients and their healthcare providers every year. This pervasiveness is exacerbated by the fact that respiratory medicine has fewer approved therapies and higher failure rates of drug candidates when compared to other therapeutic areas. The prevalence of animal models, which are slow and extrapolative, are a contributing factor to this issue since they lack the complexity to replicate the pathophysiology of chronic human disease. In response, new methods of lung-on-a-chip models have been proposed to offer early proof-of-concept studies for drug development, as well as a route to better understand the mechanisms of respiratory disease. However, current lung-on-a-chip solutions are limited in their ability to replicate a human lung environment that is three dimensional and supports cell culture for several days. Within this study, a three-dimensional gelatinous scaffold is proposed to support models of vasculature and alveolus. This prototype utilizes bioprinting procedures to develop precise geometries and transparent materials to aid in imaging and data collection. Additionally, it can apply perfusion of media as well as cyclic air pressure to mimic delivery of nutrients and alveolar expansion. This study aims to establish the model’s effectiveness by examining transparency of materials, flexibility to air pressure, reproducibility between printing sessions, and biocompatibility with cultures. In conclusion, a novel lung-on-a-chip device is proposed with simulated physiological stressors.