Apparatus and method for fabricating micro-capsule

摘要

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for fabricating a microcapsule, more particularly to an apparatus and a method for fabricating a microcapsule, which enable to encapsulate uniform cell number in a microcapsule through cell distribution, improve cell viability in the microcapsule through fluid exchange, and ensure uniform microcapsule size. The apparatus for fabricating a microcapsule according to the present invention uses a plurality of microchannels which are spatially connected with one another and are designed such that fluid flows through them in a particular direction, and comprises a cell supply unit which supplies a fluid mixture of cells and a cell dropletizing material; and a droplet forming unit in which a dropletization inducing fluid supplied from one of the plurality of microchannels joins with the fluid mixture of the cells and the cell dropletizing material to form a droplet.

主权项

1. An apparatus for fabricating a microcapsule using a plurality of microchannels which are spatially connected with one another and are designed such that fluid flows through them in a particular direction, comprising
a cell supply unit comprising a cells and cell dropletizing material supply channel(130); and a cell dropletizing material supply channel(140) provided upstream of the cells and cell dropletizing material supply channel(130), wherein the cell supply unit supplies a fluid mixture of cells and a cell dropletizing material; a droplet forming unit, wherein a dropletization inducing fluid supply channel(110), the cells and cell dropletizing material supply channel(130) and a main channel(150) join with each other, and a dropletization inducing fluid supplied from the dropletization inducing fluid supply channel joins with the fluid mixture of the cells and the cell dropletizing material to form a droplet in the droplet forming unit and a fluid exchange unit comprising a neutral fluid supply channel (160), a dropletization inducing fluid discharge channel (170), and a portion of the main channel (150) between the neutral fluid supply channel (160) and the dropletization inducing fluid discharge channel (170), the neutral fluid supply channel being branched from the main channel, the dropletization inducing fluid discharge channel being branched from the main channel and provided downstream of the neutral fluid supply channel along the length direction of the main channel, wherein the main channel is a straight line channel, wherein the dropletization inducing fluid is exchanged with a neutral fluid not reacting with the cells in the fluid exchange unit.