The miniaturization, rapid prototyping and automation of lab-on-a-chip technology play nowadays a very important role. Lab-on-a-chip technology is successfully implemented not only for environmental analysis and medical diagnostics, but also as replacement of animals used for the testing of substances in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. For that purpose the Fraunhofer IWS and partners developed a lab-on-a-chip platform for perfused cell-based assays in the last years, which includes different micropumps, valves, channels, reservoirs and customized cell culture modules. This technology is already implemented for the characterization of different human cell cultures and organoids, like skin, liver, endothelium, hair follicle and nephron. The advanced universal lab-on-a-chip platform for complex, perfused 3D cell cultures is divided into a multilayer basic chip with integrated micropump and application-specific 3D printed cell culture modules. Moreover a technology for surface modification of the printed cell culture modules by laser micro structuring and a complex and flexibly programmable controlling device based on an embedded Linux system was developed. A universal lab-on-a-chip platform with an optional oxygenator and a cell culture module for cubic scaffolds as well as first cell culture experiments within the cell culture device will be presented. The module is designed for direct interaction with robotic dispenser systems. This offers the opportunity to combine direct organ printing of cells and scaffolds with the microfluidic cell culture module. The characterization of the developed system was done by means of Micro-Particle Image Velocimetry (μPIV) and an optical oxygen measuring system

Today’s 3D printing technologies offer great possibilities for biomedical researchers to create their own specific laboratory equipment. With respect to the generation of ex vivo vascular perfusion systems this will enable new types of products that will embed complex 3D structures possibly coupled with cell loaded scaffolds closely reflecting the in-vivo environment. Moreover this could lead to microfluidic devices that should be available in small numbers of pieces at moderate prices. Here, we will present first results of such 3D printed cell culture systems made from plastics and show their use for scaffold based applications.