Macroporous microcarriers for introducing cells into a microfluidic chip.

Macroporous gelatin beads (CultiSpher™ microcarriers) provide a convenient method for rapidly and reliably introducing cells cultured ex situ into a microfluidic device, where the spheres create a 3D environment for continued cell proliferation. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique with a proof-of-concept viability analysis of cardiac cells after treatment with doxorubicin.