Characterization of compressibility in alginate microspheres

Embolization is a significant procedure in the occlusion of blood vessel prevent blood flow to an area of the body, which can effectively shrink a tumor. Embolization provides minimally invasive method for fighting hepatocellular carcinoma and kidney cancer [1]. Alginate microspheres provide a biocompatible, non-toxic, cheap, and easy-made technique for blocking blood flow to cancer cells [2]. In the experiment, we measured the compressibility of the microspheres to see their ability to maintain their structure. We report that lower concentrations of alginate and Calcium Chloride in microspheres correlated with a lack of firmness and compressibility.