Apparatus for culturing anchorage dependent cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9249383-B2
Application number	US-200913123200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2009
Priority date	Oct 8, 2008
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus ( 1 ) for culturing anchorage-dependent cells. The apparatus ( 1 ) comprises a housing ( 2 ) with an inlet ( 4 ) and an outlet ( 5 ), and a plurality of culture plates ( 6 ) removably stacked within the housing ( 2 ). The housing ( 2 ) has a circumferential wall ( 7 ), a base ( 8 ) and a top wall ( 9 ). The base ( 8 ) comprises the inlet ( 4 ) and the top wall ( 9 ) comprises the outlet ( 5 ). The circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ) defines a longitudinal axis thereof, as well as an inner cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Shape and dimensions of the inner cross section are essentially uniform along the longitudinal axis. The culture plates ( 6 ) are arranged at least essentially parallel to each other. Each plate ( 6 ) is mounted and sealed to the circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ). Plates ( 6 ) are arranged at a distance from each other. Each culture plate ( 6 ) has a through hole ( 14 ), so that inlet ( 4 ) and outlet ( 5 ) are in fluid communication. Each through hole ( 14 ) is positioned at an outer end of the respective culture plate ( 6 ), proximate the circumferential wall ( 7 ). Through holes ( 14 ) of adjacent culture plates ( 6 ) are distally positioned in the plane of the inner cross section of the housing ( 2 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus ( 1 ) for culturing anchorage-dependent cells, the apparatus ( 1 ) comprising a housing ( 2 ) with an inlet ( 4 ) and an outlet ( 5 ), and a plurality of culture plates ( 6 ) stacked within the housing ( 2 ),
wherein the housing ( 2 ) has a circumferential wall ( 7 ), a base ( 8 ) and a top wall ( 9 ), the base ( 8 ) comprising the inlet ( 4 ) and the top wall ( 9 ) comprising the outlet ( 5 ),
wherein the circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ) defines a longitudinal axis of the housing ( 2 ) and an inner cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,
wherein the inner cross section defined by the circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ) has a shape and dimensions that are at least essentially uniform along the longitudinal axis,
wherein the culture plates ( 6 ) are arranged at least essentially parallel to each other, each culture plate ( 6 ) being mounted and sealed to the circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ) and being arranged at a distance from an adjacent culture plate ( 6 ),
wherein each culture plate ( 6 ) is mounted and sealed to the circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ) by means of a sleeve ( 17 ) of the culture plate ( 6 ), the sleeve ( 17 ) defining the circumference of the culture plate ( 6 ) and defining an annular stacking protrusion ( 21 ), the annular stacking protrusion ( 21 ) projecting along the longitudinal axis of the housing ( 2 );
wherein each culture plate ( 6 ) of the plurality of culture plates has an upper portion ( 19 ) and a lower portion ( 18 ) spaced from the upper portion ( 19 ), the upper portion ( 19 ), the lower portion ( 18 ) and sleeve ( 17 ) define an interior compartment of the cultural plate culture plate ( 6 ), wherein the interior compartment is adapted to allow an anchorage substrate ( 35 ) to be deposited onto at least one of the upper portion ( 19 ) or the lower portion ( 18 ) between the upper portion ( 19 ) and the lower portion ( 18 ),
wherein the upper portion ( 19 ) and the lower portion ( 18 ) each comprises an aperture,
wherein each culture plate ( 6 ) has a through hole ( 14 ), formed by aligning the apertures of the upper portion ( 19 ) and lower portion ( 18 ) to be opposite each other, such that the inlet ( 4 ) and the outlet ( 5 ) of the housing ( 2 ) are in fluid communication,
wherein the through hole ( 14 ) of each culture plate ( 6 ) is positioned at an outer end of the culture plate ( 6 ), proximate the circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ), wherein the through holes ( 14 ) of adjacent culture plates ( 6 ) are distally positioned in the plane defined by the at least essentially parallel arrangement of the culture plates;
wherein the culture plate ( 6 ) is adapted to provide fluid flow into the interior compartment via an entrance only at one end of the culture plate ( 6 ) and fluid flow out of the interior compartment via an exit only at about the same end.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the through holes ( 14 ) of adjacent culture plates ( 6 ) are positioned at least essentially at opposite ends with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing ( 2 ).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each culture plate ( 6 ) is at least essentially arranged in the plane of the inner cross section defined by the circumferential wall ( 7 ) of the housing ( 2 ).

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a culture plate ( 6 ) of the plurality of culture plates ( 6 ) is mounted to an adjacent culture plate ( 6 ) via its annular stacking protrusion ( 21 ).

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the annular stacking protrusions ( 21 ) of the plurality of culture plates ( 6 ) are of at least substantially uniform height along the longitudinal axis of the housing ( 2 ), thereby defining an at least essentially unitary distance between opposing portions of adjacent culture plates ( 6 ).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distance between opposing portions of adjacent culture plates ( 6 ) is selected from about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper and the lower portions ( 18 , 19 ) of at least one culture plate ( 6 ) is porous.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the through holes ( 14 ) of the culture plates ( 6 ) are slits.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the slits are of arcuated shape.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the slits are arranged at least essentially parallel to the circumference of the culture plate ( 6 ).

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the through hole ( 14 ) of each culture plate ( 6 ) is positioned at an outer end of the culture plate ( 6 ), proximate the sleeve ( 17 ) thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the through hole ( 14 ) of each culture plate ( 6 ) is arranged at the edge thereof, such that the through hole ( 14 ) is laterally defined by the sleeve ( 17 ) of the culture plate ( 6 ).

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interior of each culture plate ( 6 ) comprises a suitable anchorage substrate ( 35 ) for anchorage-dependent cells.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one culture plate ( 6 ) further comprises a central layer ( 16 ) sandwiched between the upper portion ( 19 ) and the lower portion ( 18 ) of the culture plate ( 6 ).

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the central layer ( 16 ) has an upper and a lower side, and wherein the anchorage substrate ( 35 ) is deposited at both sides of the central layer ( 16 ) of the culture plate ( 6 ).

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve ( 17 ) has an upper annular stacking protrusion ( 21 ′) and a lower annular stacking protrusion ( 21 ″).

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sleeve ( 17 ) is comprised in a two-part holder ( 27 ),
the two-part holder separably consisting of an upper ( 29 ) and a lower ( 28 ) portion, wherein the upper portion comprises the upper annular stacking protrusion ( 21 ′) and the lower part comprises the lower annular stacking protrusion ( 21 ″).

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the upper portion ( 29 ) of the two-part holder comprises an annular fringe ( 25 ′), the annular fringe ( 25 ′) projecting inward from the circumferential sleeve of the holder in the plane defined by the parallel arrangement of the culture plates ( 6 ).

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the annular fringe ( 25 ′) comprises a lower portion configured to contact the upper portion ( 19 ) of the culture plate ( 6 ).

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the through hole ( 14 ) of the at least one culture plate ( 6 ) is comprised in the annular fringe ( 25 ′).

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion ( 28 ) of the two-part holder comprises an annular fringe ( 25 ″), the annular fringe ( 25 ″) projecting inward from the circumferential sleeve of the holder in the plane defined by the parallel arrangement of the culture plates ( 6 ).

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the annular fringe ( 25 ″) comprises an upper portion configured to contact the lower portion ( 18 ) of the at least one culture plate ( 6 ).

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base ( 8 ) and to the top wall ( 9 ) of the housing ( 2 ) are at least essentially parallel to the plane of the inner cross section of the circumferential wall ( 7 ) thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing ( 2 ) defines an at least essentially cylindrical interior.

25. A cell cul

Assignees

• Yu Hanry
• Xia Lei
• Leo Hwa Liang
• Agency Science Tech & Res

Inventors

• Yu Hanry
• Xia Lei
• Leo Hwa Liang

Classifications

• C12M23/46

  Means for fastening · CPC title

• C12M23/34

  Internal compartments or partitions · CPC title

• C12M25/06

  Plates; Walls; Drawers; Multilayer plates · CPC title

• C12M21/08

  for producing artificial tissue or for ex-vivo cultivation of tissue (prostheses A61F2/00, grafts A61L27/00) · CPC title

• C12M23/44 Primary

  Multiple separable units; Modules · CPC title