Realization and efficiency evaluation of a micro-photocatalytic cell prototype for real-time blood oxygenation.
A novel, miniaturized, high-efficiency photocatalytic cell, able to work in dynamic conditions, has been designed and validated in this study. Microfluidic channels were molded out of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by means of standard soft lithography techniques, so as to work as photocatalytic cells, where the coupling of anatase titanium dioxide thin films and platinum electrodes, allows an electrically assisted photocatalytic reaction to produce dissolved oxygen gas from the water content of flowing fluid (e.g. blood). The thin films were deposited onto quartz glass substrates at room temperature (300 K) using reactive radio-frequency sputtering with a titanium metal target. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated through reduction rate of methylene blue solution. The results of the current study, as a proof of concept, have shown that the device can generate oxygen at a rate of 4.06 μM O(2)/(cm(2)min), thus extending its possible application range to the full oxygenation of flowing venous blood.
Dipartimento di Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy. marco.rasponi@polimi.it
Marco
M
Rasponi
Tania
T
Ullah
Richard J
RJ
Gilbert
Gianfranco B
GB
Fiore
Todd A
TA
Thorsen
D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D002417:Cattle; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000737:chemistry; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry
D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; C009495:titanium dioxide; D010984:Platinum; C013830:baysilon; D014025:Titanium; D010100:Oxygen; D008751:Methylene Blue