A portable device was designed and constructed for studying the properties of biomaterials in physiologically relevant fluids under controllable flow conditions that closely simulate fluid flow inside the body. The device can fit entirely inside a cell incubator; and, thus, it can be used directly under standard cell culture conditions. An impedance-driven pump was built in the sterile flow loop to control the flow rates of fluids, which made the device small and portable for easy deployment in the incubator. To demonstrate the device functions, magnesium (Mg) as a representative biodegradable material was tested in the flow device for immersion degradation under flow versus static conditions, while the flow module was placed inside a standard cell incubator. The flow rate was controlled at 0.17 ± 0.06 ml/s for this study; and, the flow rate is adjustable through the controller module outside of incubators for simulating the flow rates in the ranges of blood flow in human artery (0.05 ∼0.43 ml/s) and vein (0.02 ∼0.08 ml/s). Degradation of Mg under flow versus static conditions was characterized by measuring the changes of sample mass and thickness, and Mg2+ ion concentrations in the immersion media. Surface chemistry and morphology of Mg after immersion under flow versus static conditions were compared. The portable impedance-driven flow device is easy to fit inside an incubator and much smaller than a peristaltic pump, providing a valuable solution for studying biomaterials and implants (e.g. vascular or ureteral stents) in body fluids under flow versus static conditions with or without cells.

中文翻译：

---

一种便携式设备，用于研究流体流动对细胞培养箱内生物材料降解特性的影响。

设计和构建了一种便携式设备，用于在可控流动条件下研究生理相关流体中生物材料的特性，该条件密切模拟体内流体流动。该设备可以完全安装在细胞培养箱内；因此，它可以直接在标准细胞培养条件下使用。无菌流动回路中内置了阻抗驱动泵来控制流体的流速，这使得该设备体积小且便于携带，易于在培养箱中部署。为了演示设备功能，在流动设备中测试了镁（Mg）作为代表性可生物降解材料在流动与静态条件下的浸没降解，同时将流动模块放置在标准细胞培养箱内。本研究中流速控制在0.17±0.06ml/s；通过培养箱外部的控制器模块可调节流速，模拟人体动脉(0.05～0.43ml/s)和静脉(0.02～0.08ml/s)血流范围内的流速。通过测量样品质量和厚度以及浸没介质中 Mg2+ 离子浓度的变化来表征流动条件下与静态条件下的 Mg 降解。比较了流动条件下与静态条件下浸泡后镁的表面化学和形态。便携式阻抗驱动流动装置易于安装在培养箱内，并且比蠕动泵小得多，为研究体液中的生物材料和植入物（例如血管或输尿管支架）在流动条件下与静态条件下（有或没有细胞）的研究提供了有价值的解决方案。