Traditional lab models for studying human biology—like simple cell cultures or animal testing—often fail to accurately mimic how real human organs behave. Cell cultures lack complexity, and animal tests are expensive, slow, and not always predictive of human responses. This slows down research in medicine, food science, and environmental safety.
Core Invention
This patent introduces a modular “organ-on-a-chip” system—tiny devices that simulate the key functions of human organs. Each chip has two main layers with a special membrane between them where living human cells can grow. Channels inside the chip let fluids (like blood substitutes or test solutions) flow past the cells, recreating the conditions inside the human body.
Inventive Step
Unlike existing organ-on-a-chip devices, these chips are combinable—they can be physically connected to form a larger “chipset” representing multiple organs interacting. Special ports and channels allow fluids to flow between connected chips in customizable patterns, letting researchers simulate anything from a single organ to a multi-organ system. The design is flexible, scalable, and easy to reconfigure for different experiments.
Benefits
- Realistic testing – Mimics human organ function more accurately than animal models.
- Custom setups – Combine chips for different organs to model whole-body effects.
- Efficiency – Smaller, faster, and cheaper than traditional methods.
- Versatility – Works for drug testing, toxicity studies, food safety checks, and more.
- Reduced animal testing – Minimizes the need for live animal experiments.
Broader Impact
This technology could revolutionize how drugs and chemicals are tested, speeding up medical breakthroughs while cutting costs and ethical concerns. It supports more sustainable, humane research practices, and can be adapted for industries from pharmaceuticals to environmental monitoring. By making organ simulation modular and flexible, it opens the door to faster, safer innovation across multiple scientific fields.