Follow this innovation
[ via 
] [?]
Co-Flow Microfluidic Device for Polymersome Formation
University of Connecticut
posted on 12/14/2010
Polymersomes represent a class of vesicles, tiny hollow spheres that enclose a solution. Polymersomes are made using amphiphilic synthetic block copolymers to form the vesicle membrane, and range from 50 nm to 5 um in radius or more.
Suggested Uses
Polymersomes generally contain an aqueous medium in their core and are useful for encapsulating and protecting sensitive molecules, such as drugs, enzymes, other proteins and peptides, and DNA and RNA fragments. The polymersome membrane provides a physical barrier that isolates the encapsulated material from external materials, such as those found in biological systems.
Advantages
This device can produce polymersomes with control of size and membrane thickness. The device will allow quantitative loading of the polymersomes in high quantities. The device is robust and easily assembled and has the ability to independently control the three solvent streams involved in making the polymersomes. Additionally, this apparatus enables production of a very narrow size distribution of polymersomes which is an important feature for controlled release applications.
Detailed Description
Dr. Douglas Adamson has developed a microfluidic device to produce polymersomes having three coaxial passageways of increasing size with fluid flowing in one direction. The first and smallest passageway contains the content of the polymersome, the middle passageway contains a block copolymer, and the largest and outer passageway contains an aqueous medium or water.
File Number: 10-019
Other Information:
Patent Pending "“Co-Flow Microfluidic Device for Polymersome Formation”.
This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Donna Cyr at University of Connecticut for more information.
request more info
ProfileFind more innovations
