Application
This closed-loop platform monitors and maintains traditional cell culture and bioengineered tissues to automate standard and custom cell maintenance protocols, including stem cell differentiations, bioengineered tissue generation, and functional maturation of complex cell cultures.
Key Benefits
- Automation of cell culture maintenance
- Integration with image analysis to determine reagent and media needs of cells in culture
- Compatibility with standard well plates
- Reusable after sterilization
- Cheaper and simpler than larger fluid handling systems
Market Summary
Current standard approaches for automated cell culture systems employ either manual methods, which lack adequate reproducibility, are challenging for proper aseptic techniques, and limit accuracy and scalability, or rely on large and expensive automated media exchangers that take up significant lab space in general and incubator space in particular, thus limiting experimental throughput. Both currently available manual and automated maintenance and maturation methods lack the ability to analyze complex cultures and bioengineered tissues at commercial scales in a compact and easy to use platform.
Technology Summary
The device is a custom-designed lid for commercially available multi-well culture plates that can perform automated and programmable cell maintenance (culture media change, perfusion at varying flow rates, etc.), can obtain and analyze images (photo/video) for closed-loop feedback to optimize tissue maturation and functionality and can provide access to cell by-products for further analysis and characterization. These lids can perform automatized media changes for at least 7 days, making the lid a high-throughput, programmable, and automated tissue culture and analysis platform. Importantly, the programmable lid can be disassembled, washed, sterilized, and re-used, creating a low-cost system alternative to other similar products.
Development Stage
A prototype lid has been made that can disperse reagents. The software and imaging components are still under development.