Modular platform for multi-tissue integrated cell culture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777252-B2
Application number	US-201615012577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

The systems and methods disclosed herein are generally related to a cell culture system. More particularly, the systems and methods enable the culturing and interconnecting of a plurality of tissue types in a biomimetic environment. By culturing organ specific tissue types within a biomimetic environment and interconnecting each of the organ systems in a physiologically meaningful way, experiments can be conducted on in vitro cells that substantially mimic the responses of in vivo cell populations. In some implementations, the organ systems are fluidically connected with a constant-volume pump.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A device comprising:
a) a fluid routing plate comprising:
i) a plurality of displacement chambers; and
ii) at least one fluid flow channel coupled to each of the plurality of displacement chambers; and
b) a control plate coupled to the fluid routing plate and comprising a plurality of actuators, wherein each of a first subset of the plurality of actuators align with each of the plurality of displacement chambers to form displacement pumps, and each of the plurality of actuators is one of an electromagnetic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second subset of the plurality of actuators, the second subset of the plurality of actuators configured to change a fluidic flow path through the fluid routing plate.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the displacement pumps are constant-volume displacement pumps.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one cell culture vessel reversibly coupled to the fluid routing plate.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the control plate comprises a heating element configured to maintain a configurable temperature within the at least one cell culture vessel.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one cell culture vessel is an open, cell culture vessel.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a membrane coupled between the fluid routing plate and the control plate.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the membrane comprises a fluoropolymer elastomer.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control plate comprises a sensor configured to interface with the fluid routing plate.

Assignees

• Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc
• The Massachusetts Inst Of Tech

Inventors

• Cuiffi Joseph
• Mescher Mark Joseph
• Coppeta Jonathan Robert
• Inman Samuel Walker
• Spencer Abigail June
• Nguyen Transon Van
• Borenstein Jeffrey T

Classifications

• C12M41/00

  Means for regulation, monitoring, measurement or control, e.g. flow regulation (controlling or regulating chemical, physical or physicochemical processes B01J19/0006; heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00; electro optical investigation of individual particles, flow cytometers G01N15/14; automatic analysis G01N35/00; controlling or regulating in general G06N) · CPC title

• C12M23/12

  Well or multiwell plates (C12M25/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C12M41/12

  of temperature (controlling the temperature of chemical or physical processes B01J19/0013, heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00) · CPC title

• C12M29/00

  Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B) · CPC title

• C12M21/08 Primary

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