Organ‐On‐A‐Chip Platforms Created Through Buckled Microchannels of Porous Hydrogel Films

Abstract Hydrogel‐based microchannels with biologically similar morphologies and properties can provide excellent platforms for advanced tissue/organ formation in vitro. However, there are still many restrictions on channel morphology, material selection, tubing connections, etc. Here, a novel and versatile method is proposed that couples cononsolvency photopolymerization, which enables the incorporation of porous structures into hydrogels, with on‐chip microchannels formed by buckling of a thin film. This method provides a hydrogel‐based microchannel with improved permeability while maintaining its mechanical properties by incorporating a continuous porous structure into a synthetic polymer network with excellent mechanical properties. Furthermore, by culturing vascular endothelial cells into the microchannel, it is demonstrated that the microchannel works as a vessel‐on‐a‐chip platform that can be used for the evaluation of barrier function, fabrication of various channel shapes, and development of co‐culture systems. This method, which can be adapted to various swellable hydrogels, can provide platforms with properties and functions tailored to the tissue/organ and, thus, it will contribute to the creation of physiologically relevant biological models.