Figure 3.

The ovary-on-a-chip. (A) Each microfluidic platform consists of 4 replicates of a fluidic circuit and each replicate has 3 connected modules: inlet media donor module (DO), tissue culture module (T), and outlet media acceptor module (AC). The microfluidic system can introduce a unidirectional transport fresh medium at a controlled flow rate from the DO to the T, and then remove the conditioned media and secreted hormones and other factors from the T to the AC. (B) The ovary-on-a-chip supported long-term culture of mouse ovarian explants which supported follicle development, oocyte maturation, ovulation, and luteinization. CL: corpus luteum. Scale bar: 300 μm. (C) The ovary-on-a-chip produced a 28-day menstrual cycle-like hormone secretion profile including both follicular phase and luteal phase.