SBIR Phase I: Design and Development of the mPancreas:A Wearable Biomimetically Designed Microfluidic BioArtificial Pancreas

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a new bioengineered platform designed to support insulin-producing cells outside the body for the treatment of diabetes. Diabetes affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and leads to severe complications including kidney failure, blindness, cardiovascular disease, and early death. Although transplantation of insulin-producing cells can restore natural glucose control, the therapy remains limited by poor survival of transplanted cells and the lack of technologies that maintain proper oxygen and nutrient delivery. This project aims to address the issue by creating a compact implanted bioengineered device that recreates the small-scale environment required for these cells to function and survive. If successful, the technology could enable safer and more reliable cell-based therapies for diabetes, reducing dependence on insulin injections and lowering long-term healthcare costs associated with complications of the disease. The platform may also support broader applications in regenerative medicine and drug testing involving endocrine tissue. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop and test a micro-engineered device designed to support the survival and function of insulin-producing cells by recreating key aspects of their natural biological environment. The central challenge in cell-based diabetes therapy is maintaining adequate oxygen, nutrient delivery, and waste removal while protecting the cells from harmful conditions that impair function. The research objective is to design and evaluate a miniature device that uses thin permeable membranes and precisely controlled fluid channels to regulate the transport of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic products. The research will involve fabrication of prototype devices, characterization of membrane transport properties, and laboratory studies measuring oxygen delivery and metabolic exchange across the device. The anticipated outcome is the demonstration of a controlled microenvironment capable of sustaining viable and functional insulin-producing cells under laboratory conditions. The results will establish whether the device architecture can provide the transport conditions required for long-term cell survival and insulin secretion. Successful completion of the Phase I effort will provide the technical foundation for further development of a therapeutic platform aimed at improving the safety and effectiveness of cell-based treatments for diabetes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.