US 12,134,780 B2
Method for the culturing of cells
Zeno Von Guttenberg, Gräfelfing (DE); Britta Hagmeyer, Reutlingen (DE); Simon Werner, Reutlingen (DE); Christian Schmees, Reutlingen (DE); Michael Pawlak, Reutlingen (DE); and Martin Stelzle, Reutlingen (DE)
Assigned to ibidi GmbH, Graefelfing (DE)
Filed by ibidi GmbH, Gräfelfing (DE)
Filed on Mar. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/205,700.
Claims priority of application No. 102020107599.5 (DE), filed on Mar. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0292707 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. C12N 5/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC C12N 5/0062 (2013.01) [C12M 23/02 (2013.01); C12M 23/50 (2013.01); C12N 5/0068 (2013.01); C12N 2513/00 (2013.01); C12N 2525/00 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
 
1. A method for culturing cells in a substrate, the method comprising:
introducing cells into a chamber of the substrate, the substrate having a microfluidic structure and comprising a first microfluidic channel and a second microfluidic channel connected to the chamber, the chamber having at least one side wall, a continuous planar bottom, and a top, wherein the top covers the chamber;
tilting the substrate to a tilted orientation such that the cells accumulate in an arrangement on a side wall of the chamber;
holding the substrate in the tilted orientation so that the cells form a three-dimensional cell aggregate, such that the cells grow together approximately in the arrangement in which they have accumulated on the side wall of the chamber;
tilting the substrate back to a non-tilted orientation following formation of the three-dimensional cell aggregate; and
perfusing the three-dimensional cell aggregate in the chamber by transporting liquid into and/or out of the chamber via the first microfluidic channel and/or the second microfluidic channel.