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US 2019/0316068 A1Published application
Engineered platform to generate 3d cardiac tissues
AssigneeTrustees of Boston University
InventorsChristopher S. CHEN, Rebeccah LUU, Anant CHOPRA
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Abstract
Described herein are a system, device, methods and compositions related to generating 3-dimensional cardiac tissues. Also described herein are a system, device, and methods of maturing 3-dimensional cardiac tissues and maintaining their viability in culture.
Claims30
A system for generating 3-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissues, the system comprising:
- a solid support base
- a well in the support base, the well including a lower chamber and an upper chamber;
- at least two pillars in the lower chamber operable to produce cardiac tissues across the pillars;
- and
- a head on top of each pillar, each of the heads protruding into the upper chamber
- wherein the heads are chemically treated in a sticky coating that is different from that of the pillar.
3 more elements
A device for generating 3-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissues, the device comprising:
- a. a solid support base having a top surface;
- b. a plurality of wells accessible through the top surface, each of the wells including a top well and a lower base well;
- c. at least two pillars in each of the lower base wells operable to produce cardiac tissues across the pillars;
- and
- d. a head on top of each pillar, each of the heads protruding into the corresponding top wells.
2 more elements
A method for generating cardiac tissues, comprising:
- providing a device including at least one well including a plurality of pillars coupled to the bottom surface of each of at least one well, each pillar including a head at a terminal end thereof, wherein each of at least one well is surrounded by a plurality of ridges, wherein the heads are chemically treated in a sticky coating that is different from that of the pillar;
- immersing the device in a suspension of cardiomyocytes;
- delivering the suspension of cardiomyocytes into at least one well;
- polymerizing the suspension to form a matrix;
- culturing the cardiomyocytes over time, to spontaneously compact the matrix, wherein the pillars anchor the contracting matrix, constraining the contraction of the matrix to form a band of cardiac tissue that spans across the pillars, thereby allowing the cardiomyocytes to mature;
- and
- measuring a contractile function of the band of cardiac tissue,
- wherein measuring comprises:
- imaging the device, over time, to acquire image data determining a force exerted on the pillars based on at least the image data and a spring constant corresponding to each pillar;
- and identifying a contractile function of the band of cardiac tissue based on at least the determined force,
- wherein the contractile function includes one or more of beat frequency, contraction duration, change in beat frequency over time, change in contraction duration over time, or variance in any of these phenotypic characteristics.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.