Flexible bottom culture plate for applying mechanical load to cell cultures
First Claim
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1. A cell culture plate comprising:
- a base having an upper surface and defining a base opening;
a flexible membrane covering said base opening and a portion of said upper surface, said covered opening defining a cell culture surface; and
a body engaged with said base such that said flexible membrane is fixed between said base and said body, wherein said body defines a body opening aligned with said base opening and includes a well wall extending from an upper surface of said body and surrounding said body opening, whereby said cell culture surface and said well wall define a well.
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Abstract
A cell culture plate having a flexible membrane sandwiched between a base and a body. Each of the base and body have a plurality of mutually aligned openings. A wall surrounds each opening in the body thereby forming a cell culture well with a portion of the membrane functioning as the floor of the well. When a pressure differential is applied to the underside of the membrane, the membrane stretches, inducing strain on cells cultured thereon. The cell culture plate is sealingly positioned within a recess of a baseplate. An opening defined in the recess communicates with a pressure supply and provides fluid access to the cell culture plate underside to induce the pressure differential thereon.
105 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A cell culture plate comprising:
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a base having an upper surface and defining a base opening; a flexible membrane covering said base opening and a portion of said upper surface, said covered opening defining a cell culture surface; and a body engaged with said base such that said flexible membrane is fixed between said base and said body, wherein said body defines a body opening aligned with said base opening and includes a well wall extending from an upper surface of said body and surrounding said body opening, whereby said cell culture surface and said well wall define a well. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A cell culture well comprising:
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an annular member defining a chamber and a port in fluid communication with said chamber, said annular member having a wall, a top surface and a base; a flexible membrane extending across said top surface; and a plate defining an opening, with said plate overlying said flexible member and attached to said annular member, wherein said port is configured to be connected to a pressure supply, such that when a pressure differential is provided from the pressure supply, said flexible membrane is stretched. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A cell culture plate assembly comprising:
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a cell culture plate having (i) a base having an upper surface and defining a base opening;
(ii) a flexible membrane covering said base opening and a portion of said upper surface, with said covered opening defining a cell culture surface; and
(iii) a body engaged with said base such that said flexible membrane is fixed between said base and said body, wherein said body defines a body opening aligned with said base opening and includes a well wall extending from an upper surface of said body and surrounding said body opening, whereby said cell culture surface and said well wall define a well; anda baseplate defining a recessed portion having a bottom surface with a central opening therethrough, with said cell culture plate sealingly fitted within said recessed portion, with said baseplate further defining a port and a passageway through said baseplate in fluid communication with said port and said central opening. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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- 21. A cell culture baseplate comprising a body defining a recessed portion having a bottom surface with a central opening therethrough, with said body further defining a port and a passageway through said body in fluid communication with said port and said central opening, wherein said recessed portion is configured to receive a cell culture plate and said port is configured to be coupled to a means for inducing a pressure change in said passageway and on an underside of the cell culture plate.
Specification