Device for monitoring cells

• US 6,900,030 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Beaty, Patrick Shawn, Pitner, J. Bruce, Burrell, Gregory J., Guarino, Richard D., Foley, Timothy G. Jr., Stitt, David T., Hemperly, John Jacob, Wodnicka, Magdalena
• Primary Examiner(s): GITOMER, RALPH J
• Application Number:
  US10/116,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20020155424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 435/34, 435/29, 435/69.1, 435/32, 435/817, 435/968, 436/172, 436/800
• US Class Current: 435/34
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/04 Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor C12Q1/6897 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/18 Testing for antimicrobial activity of a material
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2304/44 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for detection and evaluation of metabolic activity of eukaryotic and/or prokaryotic cells based upon their ability to consume dissolved oxygen. The methods utilize a luminescence detection system which makes use of the sensitivity of the luminescent emission of certain compounds to the presence of oxygen, which quenches (diminishes) the compound'"'"'s luminescent emission in a concentration dependent manner. Respiring eukaryotic and/or prokaryotic cells will affect the oxygen concentration of a liquid medium in which they are immersed. Thus, this invention provides a convenient system to gather information on the presence, identification, quantification and cytotoxic activity of eukaryotic and/or prokaryotic cells by determining their effect on the oxygen concentration of the media in which they are present.

Claims

1. A method for determining the presence or absence of respiring eukaryotic cells in a solution comprising:

(i) contacting said solution with a sensor composition which comprises a luminescent compound that exhibits a change in luminescent property, when irradiated with light containing wavelengths which cause said compound to luminesce, upon exposure to oxygen, wherein the presence of the sensor composition is non-destructive to the eukaryotic cells;

(ii) irradiating said sensor composition with light containing wavelengths which cause said luminescent compound to luminesce;

(iii) measuring or visually observing the luminescent light intensity from said luminescent compound while irradiating said sensor compound with said light and obtaining a measurement of the luminescence at timed intervals;

(iv) comparing said measurement to that of a control not containing respiring eukaryotic cells, wherein said control is selected from the group consisting of;

a reagent control not in contact with respiring eukaryotic cells and a calculated threshold, wherein a change in luminescent property relative to the luminescent property of the control is indicative of the presence of respiring eukaryotic cells; and

(v) in the event that no such change is measured or observed, repeating steps (ii), (iii), and (iv) to attempt to determine the presence or absence of respiring eukaryotic cells in said solution.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said luminescent compound is contained within a matrix which is relatively impermeable to water and non-gaseous solutes, but which has a high permeability to oxygen.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said matrix is a rubber or plastic matrix.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said matrix is a silicone rubber matrix.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said luminescent compound is adsorbed on solid silica particles.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said luminescent compound is a tris-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline ruthenium (II) salt.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said luminescent compound is tris-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline ruthenium (II) chloride.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said luminescent compound is a tris-2,2′

-bipyridyl ruthenium (II) salt.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said luminescent compound is tris-2,2′

-bipyridyl ruthenium (II) chloride hexahydrate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said luminescent compound is 9,10-diphenyl anthracene.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is isolated from atmospheric oxygen wherein said solution is contained in a closed system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is exposed to atmospheric oxygen.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (i), the solution is also contacted with an effective concentration of one or more biomaterials, selected from the group consisting of laminin, collagen IV, entactin, heparin sulfate proteoglycans, defined mammalian and insect cell growth factors, and matrix metalloproteinases, said concentration being effective for promoting or enabling cellular growth and respiration.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said one or more biomaterials are laminin, collagen IV, entactin and heparin sulfate proteoglycans.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (i), the solution is also contacted with an effective concentration of one or more extracellular matrices, said concentration being effective for promoting or enabling cellular growth and respiration.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said extracellular matrix is collagen.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (i), the solution is contacted with an effective concentration of one or more additives or coating substances, selected from the group consisting of penicillin, streptomycin, fungizone, non-essential amino acids, sodium pyruvate, and fetal bovine serum, said concentration being effective for promoting or enabling cellular growth and respiration.

18. A method for quantifying respiring eukaryotic cells in a solution comprising:

(i) contacting said solution with a sensor composition which comprises a luminescent compound that exhibits a change in luminescent property, when irradiated with light containing wavelengths which cause said compound to luminesce, upon exposure to oxygen, wherein the presence of the sensor composition is non-destructive to the eukaryotic cells;

(ii) irradiating said sensor composition with light containing wavelengths which cause said luminescent compound to luminesce;

(iii) measuring or visually observing the change iii luminescent property from said luminescent compound while irradiating said sensor compound with said light and obtaining a measurement of the luminescence at timed intervals;

(iv) comparing said measurement to that of a control not containing respiring eukaryotic cells, wherein said control is selected from the group consisting of;

a reagent control not in contact with respiring eukaryotic cells and a calculated threshold, wherein a change in luminescent property relative to the luminescent property of the control is indicative of the presence of respiring eukaryotic cells; and

(v) in the event that no such change is measured or observed, repeating steps (ii), (iii), and (iv), to attempt to quantify respiring eukaryotic cells in said solution.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said luminescent compound is contained within a matrix which is relatively impermeable to water and non-gaseous solutes, but which has a high permeability to oxygen.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said matrix is a rubber or plastic matrix.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said matrix is a silicone rubber matrix.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said luminescent compound is adsorbed on solid silica particles.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein said luminescent compound is a tris-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline ruthenium (ii) salt.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said luminescent compound is tris4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline ruthenium (II) chloride.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein said luminescent compound is a tris-2,2′

-bipyridyl ruthenium (II) salt.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said luminescent compound is tris-2,2′

-bipyridyl ruthenium (II) chloride hexahydrate.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein said luminescent compound is 9,10-diphenyl anthracene.

28. The method of claim 18 wherein said solution is isolated from atmospheric oxygen wherein said solution is contained in a closed system.

29. The method of claim 18 wherein said solution is exposed to atmospheric oxygen.

30. The method of claim 18 wherein, in step (i), the solution is also contacted with an effective concentration of one or more biomaterials, selected from the group consisting of laminin, collagen IV, entactin, heparin sulfate proteoglycans, defined mammalian and insect cell growth factors, and matrix metalloproteinases, said concentration being effective for promoting or enabling cellular growth and respiration.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said one or more biomaterials are laminin, collagen IV, entactin and heparin sulfate proteoglycans.

32. The method of claim 18 wherein, in step (i), the solution is also contacted with an effective concentration of one or more extracellular matrices, said concentration being effective for promoting or enabling cellular growth and respiration.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said extracellular matrix is collagen.

34. The method of claim 18 wherein, in step (i), the solution is contacted with an effective concentration of one or more additives or coating substances selected from the group consisting of penicillin, streptomycin, fungizone, non-essential amino acids, sodium pyruvate, and fetal bovine serum, said concentration being effective for promoting or enabling cellular growth and respiration.