Magnetically-assembled immunoisolative polymeric cell transplantation device

Abstract

We report fabrication and characterization of a magnetically-assembled polymeric nanoporous microcontainer for cell transplantation device. SU-8 cuboid base with 200 x 200 x 200 µm 3 cell loading space was fabricated. In addition, SU-8 lid was fabricated in a manner that it has triple layer with 350 nm thick membrane where myriads of 7~20 nm wide nanoslots were defined by nanoimprint lithography. In both SU-8 base and the lid, another layer of SU-8 with electroplated CoNiMnP permanent magnets with aligned magnetization were fabricated and they were bonded. Pancreatic islet cell was loaded into the SU-8 cuboid base in sterile condition and the lid was assembled by magnetic force. The magnetically-assembled polymeric cell transplantation device was successfully tested with FM -64 dye (~1 nm) for semi-permeability which is essential to the immuneisolation characteristics.