Immune Cell Culture Device with Continuous Perfusion Matrix
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current in vitro cell culture methods for testing immunogenicity and immunofunction are limited by stressful conditions and lack of tissue or organ functionality, leading to unreliable results and the need for costly and ethically challenging animal tests.
Innovation Solution
A culture device and method that provides a microenvironment with embedded immune cells in a matrix, allowing continuous perfusion with liquid media and supplements, enabling comparable cellular responses to in vivo conditions without interrupting incubation, and allowing for multi-parallel testing and microscopic inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional in vitro cell culture methods are used, then testing can be performed in vitro, but the results are unreliable due to stressful conditions and lack of tissue functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a matrix as an intermediary substance that embeds immune cells, providing structural support and mimicking the natural tissue environment. This matrix acts as a mediator between the cells and the culture conditions, reducing cellular stress while maintaining physiological relevance for reliable immunogenicity testing
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the culture environment by implementing continuous perfusion with liquid media and supplements. This dynamic parameter change system maintains optimal physiological conditions throughout the culture period, preventing cellular stress and improving result validity
2Device complexity
If conventional in vitro methods are used, then testing is simpler, but animal tests are still required leading to high costs and ethical challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex testing process into multiple parallel culture units, each capable of independent operation. This segmentation allows comprehensive immunogenicity testing to be performed in vitro across multiple units simultaneously, eliminating the need for animal tests while maintaining scientific rigor and reducing ethical challenges
Solution Approach 2:
The culture device is designed with multi-functionality to perform various immunogenicity and immunofunction tests across different culture units. This universal platform can test multiple compounds and cell types simultaneously, providing comprehensive predictive data that replaces animal testing while maintaining scientific validity
3Stability of the object's composition
If individual cell cultures are tested under controlled conditions, then reproducibility improves, but cellular damage during preparation and testing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous perfusion of liquid media and supplements through the culture units, maintaining uninterrupted nutritional supply and waste removal. This continuous action prevents cellular stress and damage during the testing period, preserving cell viability and reducing false positives or negatives while maintaining reproducible conditions across cultures
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a culture device comprising a plurality of culture units, wherein each unit comprises a culture chamber, an inlet port for liquid supply of the culture and an outlet port for discharging liquid from the unit, wherein the inlet port is in fluid communication with the culture chamber and the culture chamber is in fluid communication with the outlet port for allowing a liquid flow through the culture chamber. The culture device is particularly suitable for testing immune cells and immunofunction in vitro. Aspects of the invention include a culture device and associated methods for cultivating immune cells and an in vitro method of analysing the effect of a test compound on immune cells.