FURI | Spring 2019

Diffusion of Dextran Across a Microfluidic Device Used to Model Native Myocardium

Every year, myocardial infarction (MI) is responsible for over 25% of all global deaths and is expected to increase due to the oncoming obesity epidemic. Despite the unworldly lethality of this disease, along with the evermore increasing influence of MI, society is currently without a viable disease model that is apposite to human physiology; however, a three-Dimensional microfluidic device creates an admissible physiologically relevant environment. This project utilizes the device in order to optimize cardiac tissue viability, as well as measure molecular diffusion within the device and serves as the basis for future studies in myocardial infarction disease modeling.