No abstract

Thread-based microfluidics offer a simple, easy to use, low-cost, disposable and biodegradable alternative to conventional microfluidic systems. While it has recently been shown that such thread networks facilitate manipulation of fluid samples including mixing, flow splitting and the formation of concentration gradients, the passive capillary transport of fluid through the thread does not allow for precise control due to the random orientation of cellulose fibres that make up the thread, nor does it permit dynamic manipulation of the flow. Here, we demonstrate the use of high frequency sound waves driven from a chip-scale device that drives rapid, precise and uniform convective transport through the thread network. In particular, we show that it is not only possible to generate a stable and continuous concentration gradient in a serial dilution and recombination network, but also one that can be dynamically tuned, which cannot be achieved solely with passive capillary transport. Additionally, we show a proof-of-concept in which such spatiotemporal gradient generation can be achieved with the entire thread network embedded in a three-dimensional hydrogel construct to more closely mimic the in vivo tissue microenvironment in microfluidic chemotaxis studies and cell culture systems, which is then employed to demonstrate the effect of such gradients on the proliferation of cells within the hydrogel.

BackgroundThe anatomy of the membranous labyrinth within the vestibule has direct implications for surgical intervention. The anatomy of the otoliths has been studied, but there is limited information regarding their supporting connective tissue structures such as the membrana limitans in humans.MethodsOne guinea pig and 17 cadaveric human temporal bones were scanned using micro computed tomography, after staining with 2 per cent osmium tetroxide and preservation with Karnovsky's solution, with a resolution from 1 µm to 55 µm. The data were analysed using VGStudio Max software, rendered in three-dimensions and published in augmented reality.ResultsIn 50 per cent of ears, the membrana limitans attached directly to the postero-superior part of the stapes footplate. If attachments were present in one ear, they were present bilaterally in 100 per cent of cases.ConclusionMicro computed tomography imaging allowed three-dimensional assessment of the inner ear. Such assessments are important as they influence the surgical intervention and the evolution of future innovations.

The demands of modern micro-electronics packaging industry to printing quality and printing pattern resolution are higher and higher. Printing lines and the resolution relates to many factors, such as the silk screen, the thickness of emulsion and the choice of process parameters. In this article, how to improve the printing quality is discussed in the aspects above, especially how to obtain high-resolution printing lines