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Microfluidic cell cultures are of research interest to the biomedical engineering community. These types of cultures are able to expedite pathogen detection and pharmaceutical development using very small sample volumes ranging from nanoliters to microliters. These tiny cell culture volumes reduce the analytical process times and allow for the rapid development of medical treatments customized to the individual patient. The low permeability of the biocompatible-glass microfluidic cultures limits evaporation of culture serums, unlike conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Microfluidic optical fiber tools may also compliment flow-cytometry tools. Challenges exist, however, in delivering cell samples to the air channels of the optical fiber. The technical challenges of delivering 3T3 cells to air-channels in photonic crystal fibers (PCF) are discussed in this proceeding. The difficulty of cells entering the microstructured fiber for optical detection of the cells is linked to cell deformation and rupturing due to pumping techniques. Experimental results include microscopy images of shredded cells clumping inside the fiber. To investigate cell transport in PCFs, 3T3 cells were employed. These cells are an embryonic mouse cell line and are commonly used in cell biology. The benefit of this cell line is that the cells grow in flat monolayers making them ideal candidates for cell culture studies. The individual cell-size ranges from 5 μm to 15 μm. The air channels in the PCF are 22 μm in diameter, allowing 3T3 cell transport. The findings of this study will be of interest to microfluidic cell culture and flow-cytometry technical communities.
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