Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder characterized by the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain, resulting in increased intracranial pressure and potentially life-threatening complications. Conventional treatment is CSF shunt implantation but, particularly in pediatric patients, this is fraught with high failure rates of 40% at 2 years and 98% at 10 years. In pursuit of improving current treatment of communicating hydrocephalus, we developed a 3D-printed microfluidic chip that uses flexible material and features a one-way valve to prevent backflow. To evaluate chip performance, we measured flow rate and differential pressure in vitro. We also cultured astrocytes on the device to assess the potential for cellular attachment. The results revealed minimal cellular attachment and absence of obstruction. The ability of this microfluidic chip to effectively regulate CSF flow highlights the potential of microfluidic technology and demonstrates this device’s capacity to serve as a model for the next generation of CSF shunt devices.

中文翻译：

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用于脑脊液分流的 3D 打印微流体装置：替代分流装置的设计、表征和体外评估


脑积水是一种神经系统疾病，其特征是脑脊液 （CSF） 在大脑中积聚，导致颅内压升高和可能危及生命的并发症。常规治疗是 CSF 分流植入术，但尤其是在儿科患者中，这充满了 2 年失败率 40% 和 10 年失败率 98% 的高失败率。为了改善目前对交通性脑积水的治疗，我们开发了一种 3D 打印的微流体芯片，该芯片使用柔性材料并具有单向阀以防止回流。为了评估芯片性能，我们在体外测量了流速和压差。我们还在设备上培养了星形胶质细胞，以评估细胞附着的可能性。结果显示细胞附着最少且无阻塞。这种微流控芯片有效调节 CSF 流量的能力突出了微流控技术的潜力，并展示了该设备作为下一代 CSF 分流装置模型的能力。