Microfluidic long-term cell culture platform with cell-cell interaction monitoring using surface acoustic wave

We have developed a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-made microfluidic long-term cell culture platform having two cell culture wells with piezoelectric substrate bottom on which shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) propagates. The SH-SAW propagates on the cells could be used to assay cell-cell and/or cell-surface interaction. The platform also enables optical observation of the cells and acquisition of SH-SAW signals simultaneously. The combination of the on-chip CO₂ incubation and SH-SAW-based cell monitoring system successfully detected a long-term change in cell-cell or cell-substrate interaction induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂).