Cryopreservation is the final step of stem cell production before the cryostorage of the product. Conventional methods of adding cryoprotecting agents (CPA) into the cells can be manual or automated with robotic arms. However, challenging issues with these methods at industrial-scale production are the insufficient mixing of cells and CPA, leading to damage of cells, discontinuous feeding, the batch-to-batch difference in products, and, occasionally, cross-contamination. Therefore, the current study proposes an alternative way to overcome the abovementioned challenges; a highly efficient micromixer for low-cost, continuous, labour-free, and automated mixing of stem cells with CPA solutions. Our results show that our micromixer provides a more homogenous mixing of cells and CPA compared to the manual mixing method, while the cell properties, including surface markers, differentiation potential, proliferation, morphology, and therapeutic potential, are well preserved.
Keywords: 3D printing; bioprocessing industry; cryopreservation; microfluidics; stem cells.