Cell culture tests
Last updated
Last updated
Date
1st June 2020
Short Description
Evaluating possible toxicity and other negative effects of the perfusion system and its components on endothelial cell culture.
Passing Criteria
Cell proliferation and metabolic activity are comparable to a control sample.
The perfusion system features allow improvements above the control sample:
A larger volume of medium supply, reducing required amount of manual work.
Introduction of medium flow and other parameters for cell culture research.
Details
A basic perfusion set-up was assembled to test basic biocompatibility:
a tray module
silicone tubing
luer-lock tubing connectors (PP and stainless steel)
20ml syringes (PP)
medium flow manifold (POM)
6-well plate
breathable well membrane
The set-up was assembled as shown in the Figures below and a culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was introduced into two wells, a testing sample (connected to flow) and a control sample (static). The set-up was installed into a standard cell culture incubator and maintained for 1 week at 37°C and 5% CO2 with intermittent replenishment of culturing medium in the control sample.
Results
The biocompatibility experiments have produced the following results:
The breathable well membrane allows sufficient gas exchange for long term experiments
The POM, tubing and connectors do not produce toxic effects
Continuous use of single use syringes results in wear of the plastic, increasing pumping resistance and producing plastic debris, which enters the cell culture. Thus, single use syringes need to be exchanged every 24h and are less suitable for long-term use.
