Fig. 2

Microfluidic chips for ovarian follicles. a The ovary is composed of the reproductive epithelium, tunica albuginea, cortex, and medulla. Among them, the cortex is the outer layer of the ovary, including follicles, mesenchyme and antral cavity. The medulla is the inner region of the ovary, which is composed of connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic vessels. The 3D culture system is the most suitable platform for in vitro culture of follicles and oocytes. Adapted with permission from Ref. [109]. Copyright 2010 Springer Nature. b A microfluidic flow-focusing device is used to encapsulate early secondary preantral follicles in core–shell microcapsules to produce biomimetic ovarian microtissue [121]. Copyright 2014, Elsevier. c Cultured ovarian follicles in a dish and on-chip, and the two results are consistent, indicating that microfluidics can replace traditional culture systems. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [124]. Copyright 2017 MDPI. d A multi-unit microfluidic platforms supports to research the endocrine, immune and metabolic factors involved in the development of follicles [123]. Copyright 2017 Springer Nature