In this thesis I present a microfluidic platform developed to control dissolved gases and monitor dissolved oxygen concentrations within the microenvironment of isolated small blood vessels. Dissolved gas concentrations are controlled via permeation through the device substrate material using a 3D network of gas and liquid channels. Dissolved oxygen concentrations are measured on-chip via fluorescence quenching of an oxygen sensitive probe embedded in the device. Dissolved oxygen control was validated using the on-chip sensors as well as a 3D computational model. The platform was used in a series of preliminary experiments using olfactory resistance arteries from the mouse cerebral vascular bed. The presented platform provides the unique opportunity to control dissolved oxygen concentrations at high temporal resolutions (<1 min) and monitor dissolved oxygen concentrations in the microenvironment surrounding isolated blood vessels.

In this thesis I present a microfluidic platform developed to control dissolved gases and monitor dissolved oxygen concentrations within the microenvironment of isolated small blood vessels. Dissolved gas concentrations are controlled via permeation through the device substrate material using a 3D network of gas and liquid channels. Dissolved oxygen concentrations are measured on-chip via fluorescence quenching of an oxygen sensitive probe embedded in the device. Dissolved oxygen control was validated using the on-chip sensors as well as a 3D computational model. The platform was used in a series of preliminary experiments using olfactory resistance arteries from the mouse cerebral vascular bed. The presented platform provides the unique opportunity to control dissolved oxygen concentrations at high temporal resolutions (<1 min) and monitor dissolved oxygen concentrations in the microenvironment surrounding isolated blood vessels.