Understanding the formation mechanism of lipid nanoparticles in microfluidic devices with chaotic micromixers

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187962
• Publication Date: 2017-11-28T13:26:34Z
• Authors: Masatoshi Maeki; Yuka Fujishima; Yusuke Sato; Takao Yasui; Noritada Kaji; Akihiko Ishida; Hirofumi Tani; Yoshinobu Baba; Hideyoshi Harashima; Manabu Tokeshi
• Keywords: Micromixer; Chaotic mixing

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) or liposomes are the most widely used drug carriers for nanomedicines. The size of LNPs is one essential factors affecting delivery efficiency and therapeutic efficiency. Here, we demonstrated effect lipid concentration mixing performance on LNP using microfluidic devices with aim understanding formation mechanism controlling precisely. We fabricated different depths, 11 μm 31 μm, their chaotic micromixer structures. According to behavior results, by a low solution device equipped mixer structures, were able produce smallest-sized yet narrow particle distribution. also evaluated rate laser scanning confocal microscopy estimated critical ethanol size. range was be 60-80% ethanol. Ten nanometer-sized tuning achieved optimum residence time at times necessary control 10, 15-25, 50 ms time-scales 30, 40, nm-sized LNPs, respectively. Finally, proposed based determined concentration. precise size-controlled produced expected become next generation nanomedicines they will lead new effective approaches cancer treatment.