Removable Top-Loaded Chambers for Microfluidic Cell Culture Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microfluidic cell culture devices are limited by their inability to quickly replace top-loaded chambers, making it difficult to grow and study different cell cocultures without replacing the entire device.
Innovation Solution
A cell culture plate with removable top-loaded chambers, each comprising culture medium reservoirs, flow channels, and a porous membrane, allowing for the replacement of chambers without inverting the plate or using high cell concentrations, enabling the growth of various cell types under controlled in vitro conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the entire microfluidic cell culture device is replaced to grow different cell cocultures, then different cell types can be studied, but the time and complexity of experimentation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular components: a reusable base plate and replaceable top-loaded chambers. Each chamber is a self-contained module that can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation allows researchers to change only the chamber containing the cells of interest while keeping the base plate and other chambers in place, dramatically reducing the time and complexity of transitioning between different cell coculture experiments.
2Volume of moving object
If conventional cell culture vessels with large volume are used, then cell growth space is adequate, but reagent and culture medium consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from conventional large-volume cell culture vessels to microfluidic chambers with significantly reduced volume (microliter to nanoliter scale). This parameter change in volume maintains adequate cell growth space through optimized surface area-to-volume ratio and controlled fluid flow, while dramatically reducing consumption of culture media and reagents. The microfluidic design enables precise delivery of nutrients and removal of waste products in minimal volumes.
3Productivity
If conventional cell culture vessels are used, then cell growth is possible, but the ability to quickly replace chambers for different cell types is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static conventional culture vessels to a dynamic modular configuration where top-loaded chambers can be quickly inserted and removed from the base plate. This dynamic design enables rapid reconfiguration of the device for different cell types and experimental conditions without requiring complete device replacement or complex disassembly, thereby simultaneously improving productivity and adaptability.
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
Enables the efficient cultivation and study of different cell cocultures by allowing the replacement of top-loaded chambers, reducing the need to replace the entire device and maintaining uniform, controlled conditions for cell growth on both the apical and basal surfaces of the membrane.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one membrane has through pores formed therein. The at least one membrane is arranged between the first chamber and the second chamber such that the first chamber and the second chamber are in flow communication with each other via the through pores of the at least one membrane.
Implementation Method 2
Each of the at least two flow channels connects the outlet of the bottom part of one of the at least two culture medium reservoirs to one of the at least two lateral holes of the bottom part of the second chamber.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates a cell culture plate for microfluidic cell cultivation. The cell culture plate comprises a plurality of cell culture modules arranged adjacent to each other. Each cell culture module comprises two or more culture medium reservoirs connected by two or more flow channels. The flow channels go through a basal chamber arranged under a removable apical chamber. The apical and basal chambers are separated by at least one porous membrane. The basal chamber has a bottom part arranged higher than a bottom part of each of the culture medium reservoirs. In the cell culture plate thus configured, it is possible to replace the apical chambers to grow and study various cell cocultures during the microfluidic cell cultivation. Moreover, cells of the same or different types may be grown on the basal (i.e., bottom) surface of the at least one membrane in each cell culture module under uniform and controlled in vitro conditions, without having to invert the cell culture plate. In particular embodiments, a cell culture apparatus and a cell culture incubator both comprising the cell culture plate, as well as a method for cell cultivation by using the cell culture plate are provided.