Abstract
This study reports a new microfluidic cell culture platform for real-time, in vitro microscopic observation and evaluation of cellular functions. Microheaters, a micro temperature sensor, and micropumps are integrated into the system to achieve a self-contained, perfusion-based, cell culture microenvironment. The key feature of the platform includes a unique, ultra-thin, culture chamber with a depth of 180 μm, allowing for real-time, high-resolution cellular imaging by combining bright field and fluorescent optics to visualize nanoparticle-cell/organelle interactions. The cell plating, culturing, harvesting and replenishing processes are performed automatically. The developed platform also enables drug screening and real-time, in situ investigation of the cellular and sub-cellular delivery process of nano vectors. The mitotic activity and the interaction between cells and the nano drug carriers (conjugated quantum dots-epirubicin) are successfully monitored in this device. This developed system could be a promising platform for a wide variety of applications such as high-throughput, cell-based studies and as a diagnostic cellular imaging system.
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Abbreviations
- Au:
-
gold
- CCD:
-
Charge-coupled device
- DOF:
-
Depth of field
- EMV:
-
Electromagnetic valve
- FBS:
-
Fetal bovine serum
- HEPES:
-
4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic Acid
- ITO:
-
Indium-tin-oxide
- MTT:
-
3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium Bromide
- OC-2:
-
Oral cancer cell
- PDMS:
-
Polydimethylsiloxane
- Pt:
-
Platinum
- QD:
-
Quantum dots
- S-shape:
-
Serpentine-shape
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The authors would like to thank the National Science Council in Taiwan for financial support of this project.
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Hsieh, CC., Huang, SB., Wu, PC. et al. A microfluidic cell culture platform for real-time cellular imaging. Biomed Microdevices 11, 903–913 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-009-9307-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-009-9307-7