Method and Apparatus for Forming Nanodroplets

This innovation uses partially miscible fluids to form nano- and microdroplets in a microfluidic droplet generator system. Droplet generators fabricated in PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) are currently being used to fabricate engineered nanoparticles and microparticles. These droplet generators were first demonstrated in a T-junction configuration, followed by a cross-flow configuration. All of these generating devices have used immiscible fluids, such as oil and water. This immiscible fluid system can produce mono-dispersed distributions of droplets and articles with sizes ranging from a few hundred nanometers to a few hundred microns. For applications such as drug delivery, the ability to encapsulate aqueous solutions of drugs within particles formed from the droplets is desirable. Of particular interest are non-polar solvents that can dissolve lipids for the formation of liposomes in the droplet generators. Such fluids include ether, cyclohexane, butanol, and ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate is of particular interest for two reasons. It is relatively nontoxic and it is formed from ether and acetic acid, and maybe broken down into its constituents at relatively low concentrations

Droplet-Based Production of Liposomes

A process for making monodisperse liposomes having lipid bilayer membranes involves fewer, simpler process steps than do related prior methods. First, a microfluidic, cross junction droplet generator is used to produce vesicles comprising aqueous solution droplets contained in single layer lipid membranes. The vesicles are collected in a lipid-solvent mix that is at most partially soluble in water and is less dense than is water. A layer of water is dispensed on top of the solvent. By virtue of the difference in densities, the water sinks to the bottom and the solvent floats to the top. The vesicles, which have almost the same density as that of water, become exchanged into the water instead of floating to the top. As there are excess lipids in the solvent solution, in order for the vesicles to remain in the water, the addition of a second lipid layer to each vesicle is energetically favored. The resulting lipid bilayers present the hydrophilic ends of the lipid molecules to both the inner and outer membrane surfaces. If lipids of a second kind are dissolved in the solvent in sufficient excess before use, then asymmetric liposomes may be formed

Left atrial volumetric and strain analysis by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in noncompaction cardiomyopathy: results from the MAGYAR-path study

Introduction: Noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCCM) is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy characterised by a distinctive 2-layered appearance of the myocardium due to hypertrabecularisation and deep intertrabecular recesses. The present study was designed to assess left atrial (LA) volumes and volumetric and strainbased functional properties by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) in NCCM. Methods: The study included 12 consecutive NCCM patients. Their results were compared to 20 age-and sex-matched healthy controls. Complete two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography and 3DSTE were performed in all cases. Results: Calculated LA maximum (76.5 ± 26.8 mL vs. 45.3 ± 15.1 mL, p=0.0002) and minimum (56.9 ± 27.3 mL vs. 25.3 ± 15.2 mL, p=0.0002) volumes and LA volume before atrial contraction (67.1 ± 28.2 mL vs. 35.7 ± 16.4 mL, p=0.0004) were significantly greater in NCCM patients. Total, active, and passive LA emptying fractions proved to be smaller in NCCM. Peak global radial (-9.3 ± 7.8% vs.-16.8 ± 10.2%, p=0.05), circumferential (12.8 ± 8.4% vs. 26.2 ± 9.2%, p=0.0003), longitudinal (12.8 ± 8.2% vs. 22.5 ± 8.5%, p=0.004), and area (26.7 ± 18.5% vs. 51.6 ± 20.3%, p=0.001) strains were significantly smaller in NCCM patients as compared to matched controls. Conclusions: Significantly greater LA volumes and compromised LA functional properties could be demonstrated by 3DSTE in patients with NCCM. © 2016, Hellenic Cardiological Society. All rights reserved