Universal Barrier Coating for PDMS Organ-on-a-Chip Devices

Patent Status

Brief Description

Organ-on-a-chip and microphysiological systems (MPS) are transforming drug discovery by providing more predictive, human-relevant models for preclinical testing. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) remains the material of choice for these devices because of its optical transparency, biocompatibility, oxygen permeability, and compatibility with standard cell culture workflows.

However, PDMS has a well-known limitation: its hydrophobic nature causes small hydrophobic compounds, including many drug candidates, to be absorbed into the device. This nonspecific uptake results in unpredictable drug concentrations, reduced experimental reproducibility, and inaccurate dosing, limiting the reliability of PDMS-based platforms for pharmaceutical screening.

UC Berkeley researchers have developed a universal surface coating that effectively addresses this challenge. Using a novel coating chemistry, the technology creates a stable, substrate-independent barrier that dramatically reduces the absorption of small molecules into PDMS and other polymeric materials while preserving the desirable properties that make PDMS an industry standard.

The coating outperforms existing dip-coating technologies and can be applied through a simple, low-cost process compatible with a wide range of organic and inorganic substrates, enabling more reliable drug exposure and improved experimental reproducibility.

Suggested uses

• Organ-on-a-chip platforms
• Microphysiological systems (MPS)
• Drug discovery and preclinical screening
• ADME and pharmacokinetic studies
• Lab-on-a-chip and microfluidic devices
• Cell culture and diagnostic platforms utilizing PDMS or related polymers

Advantages

• Improves dosing accuracy by minimizing absorption of hydrophobic drug molecules
• Universal coating technology compatible with PDMS and a broad range of polymeric and inorganic materials
• Simple, scalable application using a cost-effective coating process
• Biocompatible and compatible with standard cell culture methods
• Maintains oxygen permeability and optical transparency, preserving critical device performance
• Enhances reproducibility for pharmaceutical research and drug development workflows