Hanging drop devices, systems and/or methods
Assignees3D Biomatrix, Inc., The Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsShuichi Takayama, Yi-Chung Tung, Amy Yu-Ching Hsiao, Edward Jan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates general to devices, systems, and methods of using such devices in creating and handling hanging drops of fluid. The present disclosure also relates to cell culture devices, methods and/or systems of using such devices as well as the use of cell culture devices, for example, for research and high throughput screening.
Claims21
-37. (canceled)
A method for co-culturing a plurality of spheroids in a single hanging drop of liquid culture media, said method comprising the steps of:
- proving an assay plate having a plurality of wells, each well extending as a hole through top and bottom surfaces of the assay plate,
- filling at least one of the wells with liquid culture media so that a hanging portion of the liquid culture media hangs as a suspended drop below the well and the bottom surface of the assay plate,
- culturing a first aggregated cell spheroid in the hanging portion of liquid culture media, and
- inserting at least a second aggregated cell spheroid into the hanging portion of liquid culture media so that the first and second spheroids are suspended together within the same hanging portion of liquid culture media.
A cell culturing assembly, said assembly comprising:
- an assay plate including a top surface and a bottom surface, said assay plate including a plurality of wells, each said well extending as a hole through said top and bottom surfaces of said assay plate to enable the passage of liquid culture media therethrough, each said well including a lower plateau structure extending below said bottom surface and surrounding said well,
- an isolated body of liquid culture media disposed in each said well, said liquid culture media in each said well having a hanging portion suspended by surface tension from said lower plateau structure,
- a plurality of cells suspended in each said body of liquid culture media and configured to aggregate into a spheroid, said spheroid disposed entirely within said hanging portion and disposed entirely below said lower plateau structure.
A cell culturing assembly and pipette combination, said combination comprising:
- an assay plate including a top surface and a bottom surface, said assay plate including a plurality of wells, each said well extending as a hole through said top and bottom surfaces of said assay plate to enable the passage of liquid culture media therethrough,
- an isolated body of liquid culture media disposed in each said well, said liquid culture media in each said well having a hanging portion suspended by surface tension from said lower plateau structure,
- a plurality of cells suspended in each said body of liquid culture media and configured to aggregate into a spheroid,
- a pipette having an elongated dispensing tip, said dispensing tip having a terminal end sized with respect to said wells to extend more than half-way between said top and bottom surfaces of said assay plate.
A method for harvesting a spheroid from a hanging drop of liquid culture media, said method comprising the steps of:
- proving an assay plate having a plurality of wells, each well extending as a hole through top and bottom surfaces of the assay plate,
- filling at least one well with liquid culture media so that a portion of the liquid culture media hangs as a suspended drop below the well and the bottom surface of the assay plate,
- culturing an aggregated cell spheroid in the hanging portion of liquid culture media, and
- inserting the elongated dispensing tip of a pipette through the top surface opening of the one well, and suctioning the spheroid into the pipette through the dispensing tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.