US 12,378,508 B2
Organ-on-chips that mimic human pregnancy and parturition
Arum Han, College Station, TX (US); Sungjin Kim, Bryan, TX (US); Ramkumar Menon, League City, TX (US); Lauren Richardson, College Station, TX (US); and Ourlad Alzeus Tantengco, Bataan (PH)
Assigned to The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (US)
Filed by The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (US); and Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/336,730.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/033,512, filed on Jun. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0002646 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. C12M 3/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/12 (2006.01); C12M 1/26 (2006.01); C12M 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC C12M 21/08 (2013.01) [C12M 23/16 (2013.01); C12M 25/02 (2013.01); C12M 29/10 (2013.01); C12M 33/00 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An organ-chip model of human pregnancy and parturition comprising:
a plurality of cell culture chambers connected through arrays of microfluidic channels that connect adjacent cell culture chambers and permit the passage of cells between the cell culture chambers;
wherein each cell culture chamber of the plurality of cell culture chambers comprises an inlet and an outlet;
wherein the inlet is configured to receive at least one of a cell, cell media, or a cell stimulant; and
wherein at least one outlet is configured to collect effluent;
wherein the organ-chip model is selected from the group consisting of an organ-chip model of amnion membrane, an organ-chip model of a feto-maternal interface (fetal membrane-decidua parietalis), an organ-chip model of a feto-maternal interface (placenta-decidua interface), an organ-chip model of a cervix, and combinations thereof;
a bottom substrate, wherein the bottom substrate is a flexible membrane to allow for application of a stretching motion to cells during culture; and
pneumatically actuated microchannels located below the flexible membrane.