Furfuryl Polymer Coating for Hydrophilic Cell Culture Substrates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cell culture substrates, particularly those with hydrophilic polymer surfaces, face challenges in achieving sufficient cell adhesion and proliferation activity, especially in complex structures like hollow fiber bioreactors, despite surface treatments with polytetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate (PTHFA).

Innovation Solution

A coating layer containing a specific amount of a polymer derived from furfuryl (meth)acrylate is applied to the hydrophilic polymer substrate, with a mass ratio per unit area exceeding 2 μg/cm², enhancing cell adhesion and proliferation activity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a hydrophilic polymer substrate is used for cell culture, then the substrate is suitable for bioreactor applications, but cell adhesion and proliferation activity are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell adhesion and proliferation activityVSAvoidsubstrate surface treatment difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a coating layer containing furfuryl (meth)acrylate polymer to the hydrophilic polymer substrate before cell culture. This preliminary surface treatment modifies the substrate properties in advance, enabling excellent cell adhesion and proliferation activity without requiring complex plasma treatment or other difficult surface modification processes during manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The coating layer acts as an intermediary between the hydrophilic polymer substrate and the cells. It mediates the interaction by providing a surface that promotes cell adhesion while maintaining the underlying substrate's hydrophilic properties and bioreactor suitability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If plasma treatment is applied to improve cell adhesion, then cell adhesion is enhanced, but it cannot be applied to complex structures like hollow fiber bioreactors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell adhesionVSAvoidapplicability to various substrate structures

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The coating solution containing furfuryl (meth)acrylate polymer provides a universal surface treatment method that can be applied to various substrate structures including flat plates, hollow fiber bioreactors, porous bodies, and other complex geometries. The solution-based coating approach replaces the limited plasma treatment method with a versatile technique suitable for diverse cell culture applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential function of plasma treatment (improving cell adhesion) and implements it through a different mechanism - applying a polymer coating layer. This extracted approach maintains the cell adhesion benefit while removing the limitation of structural complexity, allowing application to any substrate shape or design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If PTHFA coating is applied to hydrophilic polymer substrate, then cell adhesion is improved, but cell proliferation activity remains insufficient when coating amount is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell proliferation activityVSAvoidpolymer coating amount

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent identifies and optimizes the coating amount parameter of the furfuryl (meth)acrylate polymer to achieve excellent cell proliferation activity. By controlling the polymer concentration and application conditions to achieve a specific coating amount range, the invention transforms the insufficient cell proliferation activity into excellent performance while maintaining practical coating quantities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The coating layer significantly improves cell adhesion and proliferation activity on hydrophilic polymer substrates, facilitating better cell attachment and growth, regardless of substrate shape or design, while maintaining permeability and gas exchangeability.

Implementation Method 1

a coating layer on at least one surface of a hydrophilic polymer substrate, wherein the coating layer contains a polymer comprising a structural unit (1) derived from furfuryl (meth)acrylate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

excellent cell proliferation activity to a hydrophilic polymer substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCell proliferation:

Data Source

PatentUS12404485B2Cell culture substrate

Publication Date: 2025.09.02 TERUMO KK

AI summary

This invention is to provide a means capable of providing excellent cell proliferation activity to a hydrophilic polymer substrate. Provided is a cell culture substrate comprising a coating layer on at least one surface of a hydrophilic polymer substrate, wherein the coating layer includes a polymer comprising a structural unit derived from furfuryl (meth)acrylate represented by Formula, and a ratio of mass of the polymer contained per unit area of the coating layer is more than 2 μg/cm2.