Kidney-Shaped Co-Culture Insert for Well Plate Stability
Solution Overview
Problem
Current dual chamber cell culture systems face challenges such as movement of the insert within the multi-well plate, potential contamination, and limited information availability at single time points, making them labor-intensive and inefficient for co-culturing cells.
Innovation Solution
A co-culture device assembly with an insert device or tray featuring a microporous membrane and a unique chamber configuration that minimizes movement and contamination, allowing for simultaneous monitoring of cell interactions through electrical and optical measurements across multiple time points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional insert devices are used in multi-well plates, then co-culturing of cells can be achieved, but the insert moves within the plate causing contamination and requiring complex stabilization features
Solution Approach 1:
The insert device employs a kidney-shaped configuration where the first side wall forms a convex arc following between about half and less than an entire circumference of the well, while the second side wall protrudes inward toward the center. This curved, asymmetric geometry allows the insert to conform to the circular well shape, providing stable positioning without complex mechanical stabilization features.
2Ease of operation
If access ports are created to reach the lower chamber, then cell interactions can be monitored, but contamination from the upper chamber occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is notched to form a gap that creates an access port to the lower chamber. This extraction of material from the flange structure provides a dedicated pathway for accessing the lower chamber that is separate from the upper chamber space, allowing monitoring of cell interactions while preventing contamination between chambers.
3Productivity
If single time point measurements are taken, then simple assay procedures are used, but limited kinetic information is obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables continuous monitoring of cell interactions by providing access to both upper and lower chambers for repeated measurements at multiple time points. The kidney-shaped configuration with flange access ports allows researchers to track kinetic parameters such as cell proliferation, migration, and interaction dynamics continuously throughout the experiment, obtaining comprehensive kinetic information while maintaining high assay throughput.
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 solution enables efficient co-culturing of cells with reduced contamination and labor, providing comprehensive kinetic information on cell interactions and viability, including real-time impedance monitoring and optical detection, enhancing the accuracy and throughput of cell-based assays.
Implementation Method 1
One such use is to assess the potential relationship between 'effector' cells and 'target' cells. Specifically, effector cells may secrete molecules which may act on target cells
Implementation Method 2
providing comprehensive kinetic information on cell interactions and viability, including real-time impedance monitoring
Implementation Method 3
optical detection, enhancing the accuracy and throughput of cell-based assays
Data Source
AI summary
An insert device and co-culture device assembly incorporating the insert device, which includes an insert chamber with two fluid impermeable side walls that extend from a microporous bottom to an open top to form an inner cavity. The first side wall is shaped to form a convex arc that follows between about half of a circumference of the well and less than an entire circumference of the well. The second side wall joins ends of the first side wall and protrudes inward towards a center of the convex arc. A flange extends outward from or beneath the top and is notched to form a gap adjacent to the second side wall, which forms an access port allowing access to the lower chamber with a micropipette tip when the insert device is inserted into a well of a single or multi-well plate.