This repo provides fabrication files, Arduino code, and circuit schematics for our open-source gel flipping system for seeding endothelial cells into patterned vascular networks. See our Nature Protocols paper (specifically Box 1) for more info.
Update 06/21: We now provide blueprints and assembly instructions for our v2 flipper design, which is designed to replace the v1 hardware. Instead of interlocking gears, we use a single rotating block which holds multiple perfusion chambers. Up to 10 at a time are possible with our current design, which can be modified further.
In our hands, this new version is more reliable because it eliminates occasional issues with the gears jamming during flipping. The main downside is that large gels cannot be flipped in large batches, and there is less flexibilty to swap in and out different gears.
How to cite: If you use this device for work in a publication, please cite this project as
Kinstlinger, I.S., Calderon, G.A., Royse, M.K. et al. Perfusion and endothelialization of engineered tissues with patterned vascular networks. Nat Protoc (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-021-00533-1
Questions: Inquiries about this hardware, issues with assembly or operation, and feature requests can be directed to ian [dot] kinstlinger [at] gmail [dot] com.
