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US 2013/0059322 A1Published application
Cell culture and invasion assay method and system
AssigneeCellASIC
InventorsPaul J. Hung, Philip J. Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Microfluidic devices, systems, and methods providing for an invasion assay using microfluidic culture systems.
Claims28
A microfluidic system comprising:
- a. a first cell culture region;
- b. an invasion barrier separating the first culture region from a second cell culture region;
- c. a perfusion barrier separating the second region from a flow region;
- and
- d. the flow region configured to provide a source of liquid media for feeding cells that are present in the first cell culture region or the second cell culture region or both.
2 more elements
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A microfluidic cell culture system comprising:
- at least one culture unit comprising:
- a microfluidic culture chamber;
- a microfluidic invasion chamber;
- an invasion barrier separating the culture chamber and the invasion chamber;
- a perfusion barrier separating the invasion chamber from one or more medium flow channels;
- one or more fluidic connections providing one or more of:
- cell or gel or both inlet to the culture chamber;
- liquid media inlet to the one or more medium flow channels;
- liquid media outlet from the one or more medium flow channels;
- wherein said one or more fluidic connections is further associated with one or more fluidic reservoir regions.
7 more elements
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A method of culturing cells for an invasion assay comprising:
- placing cells into a well of a well plate, the well fluidically connected to a culture chamber, the culture chamber connected to an invasion chamber and one or both connected to a plurality of microfluidic channels;
- placing media into a different well of the well plate, the different well fluidically connected to a plurality of microfluidic perfusion passages, the microfluidic perfusion passages providing perfusion passages into the cell invasion area;
- allowing the cells to culture for an appropriate time;
- observing or assaying or both cells or media or both in the well plate by observing invasion of cells into the invasion region.
1 more element
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The system 39 further wherein the system is configured such that:
- cells or a gel flow into the inlet to the culture chamber via capillary action, with any displaced outflow or any negative pressure applied to the culture chamber via the liquid media inlet or outlet;
- liquid media in the flow channel flows adjacent to the perfusion barrier providing a perfusion connection to the invasion chamber while flowing past the perfusion barrier and not flowing through the perfusion barrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.