Dissociation of brain tissue into viable single neurons in a microfluidic device

A microfluidic technology-based tissue-dissociation device has for the first time been designed, fabricated and characterized for the purpose of primary neuronal cell culture. The system has been utilized for controlled dissociation, under an oscillatory flow field, of freshly explanted, enzyme-treated Drosophila larval central nervous system (CNS) into individual, viable neurons capable of robust outgrowth during in vitro culture. Device dimensions, constriction height and width, and operating conditions, flow-rate amplitude and frequency, have been determined based on video microscopy as well as quantitative analyses of the subsequent neuron-culture results.