Snap-fit Permeable Membrane Support for Cell Culture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current permeable membrane supports (PMS) face challenges in separating cultured cells or tissues with hydrogel from the membrane without deformation, making it difficult to conduct sequential tests or measurements due to the membrane's design, which hinders direct observation and analysis.

Innovation Solution

A permeable membrane support with a snap-fit coupling mechanism between upper and lower supports allows for easy attachment and detachment of the permeable membrane, enabling safe separation of cultured cells or tissues in an intact layer, facilitating direct microscopic analysis and simplifying the separation process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the permeable membrane is permanently bonded to the support structure, then the structural integrity and stability are improved, but the ease of separating the cultured cells from the support deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidease of separating cultured cells

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The support structure is divided into an upper support and a lower support that can be separated from each other. The permeable membrane is attached to the lower support, while the upper support can be detached to allow access to and removal of the cultured cells without disturbing the membrane's attachment to the lower support. This segmentation enables both stable membrane fixation and easy cell access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coupling between upper and lower supports is made dynamic rather than permanent. The supports can be coupled together during cell culture to maintain structural integrity, and decoupled when cell access or removal is needed. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt between stability and accessibility requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If the permeable membrane is made detachable from the support, then the ease of separating cultured cells is improved, but the reliability of maintaining membrane position deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of separating cultured cellsVSAvoidmembrane position stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the support into upper and lower portions, the membrane attachment function is isolated to the lower support. This ensures the membrane remains reliably positioned on the lower support while the upper support's detachment does not affect membrane stability. The functional segmentation protects membrane position reliability while enabling ease of cell access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If a spoon is used to remove culture samples from the PMS, then the ease of sample removal is improved, but the manufacturing precision and sample integrity deteriorate due to deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of sample removalVSAvoidsample integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The upper support is designed to be removable from the lower support, allowing the culture sample on the permeable membrane to be accessed and removed directly without requiring external tools like spoons. The sample can be extracted intact by detaching the upper support and carefully lifting the membrane with cells, preserving sample integrity while maintaining ease of removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If the PMS size is reduced for direct microscopic measurement, then the measurement accessibility is improved, but the productivity of cell culture operations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicroscopic measurement accessibilityVSAvoidcell culture operation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The support structure is segmented into removable upper and lower parts. The lower support with the membrane can be detached from the upper support, allowing the membrane to be transferred to a microscope slide for direct microscopic measurement. After observation, the membrane can be returned to the original culture system, enabling both detailed measurement and continued culture operations without permanent size reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11305239B2Permeable membrane support with a detachable permeable membrane

Publication Date: 2022.04.19 STONE CORP

AI summary

Disclosed is a permeable membrane support having an attachable and detachable permeable membrane, the permeable membrane support comprising: a lower support; an upper support partially accommodated into the lower support; and a permeable membrane disposed between the lower support and the upper support. When the upper support and the lower support are engaged with each other in a snap-fit manner, the permeable membrane is sandwiched between a bottom opening of a cylindrical lower member of the upper support and a top face of a bottom support portion of the lower support.