The Microfluidic Integration of Electrochemical Metabolite Sensors Downstream of Fetal Membrane-on-Chip (FMOC) Platform for Real-Time Analysis

The Fetal Membrane-on-Chip (FMOC) mimics the maternal-fetal interface within the placenta and was developed as a platform on which to ethically study the physiological mechanisms of preterm birth. The focus of work on the FMOC has been regarding the link between chorioamnionitis and preterm premature rupture of the fetal membranes, which has previously been studied by extracting media from the cell chambers at specific time points. Now, the FMOC has been integrated into a microfluidic system in which metabolite changes can be measured in real-time. A combination of microvalves and micropumps as well as a screen-printed electrode (SPE) with 8 working electrodes were combined with the organ-on-chip platform to allow for the simultaneous measurement of the levels of four metabolites from each side of the FMOC. This has allowed for simpler, more efficient sample analysis as well as a greater understanding of the metabolic changes at the maternal-fetal interface preceding preterm birth.