A micropillar and microwell chip and methods of studying cellular environments using micropillar and microwell chips is disclosed. The micropillar chip may include at least one micropillar with a pillar-microwell. The microwell chip may include at least one microwell with an upper and a lower microwell. A perfusion channel chip that may be integrated with a micropillar chip is also disclosed. The perfusion channel chip may include a channel, a pillar-insertion hole, a membrane cassette, and a reservoir well.

A cell culture device includes a first culture dish and a second culture dish, the first culture dish has a first membrane on the bottom surface, the second culture dish has a second membrane on the bottom surface, and the first culture dish and the second culture dish are mounted with a gap of which a height is adjustable therebetween.

A bioreactor capable of producing complex, three-dimensional tissue constructs has improved media transfer and increased controllability with regard to exposure to the external environment. The bioreactor includes an external surface, a first tissue culture side for culturing a first cell source in a first tissue culture support region, a second tissue culture side for culturing a second cell source in a second tissue culture support region, and a plurality of ports. At least one of the ports of the plurality of ports extend from the first tissue culture support region of the first tissue culture side to the external surface. The plurality of ports can include an external port that is configured to be a liquid inlet when the bioreactor is in a first orientation and a gas outlet when the bioreactor is in a second orientation.

A culture container for culturing epithelial cells, includes an upper container, a lid member configured to airtightly fit with an opening portion of the upper container, and a lower container configured to accommodate the upper container and a cell culture medium, in which at least a part of an area of the upper container in contact with the cell culture medium is formed of a membrane that is permeable to at least a part of components of the cell culture medium and impermeable to a cell, and a material of the lid member has an oxygen permeability coefficient of 1.0×10.sup.−6 cm.sup.3 cm/(cm.sup.2.Math.sec.Math.atm) or less.

A modular microfluidic device for simulating in vivo conditions of a biological system may include a first perfusion chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a second perfusion chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a well configured to hold one or more 3D structures of cultured biological cells. The well may be in fluid communication with the first and second perfusion chambers. A first porous membrane may be disposed between the first perfusion chamber and the well. A second porous membrane may be disposed between the second perfusion chamber and the well. The well may be configured to facilitate growth of cultured biological cells along all three dimensional axes, thereby providing or ensuring a more representative 3D structure of biological cells compared to conventional monolayer cultures.

A packed-bed bioreactor system for culturing cells is provided, the system including a cell culture vessel having at least one interior reservoir, an inlet fluidly connected to the reservoir, and an outlet fluidly connected to the reservoir; and a cell culture matrix disposed in the reservoir. The cell culture matrix includes a structurally defined multi-layered substrate for adhering cells thereto, and each layer of the multi-layered substrate has a physical structure and a porosity that are substantially regular and uniform.

A co-culture apparatus includes: a first airtight container; a co-culture device disposed outside of the first airtight container; a first culture medium source disposed in the first airtight container and storing a first culture medium; a second culture medium source storing a second culture medium having a lower dissolved oxygen concentration than that of the first culture medium; and a first conduit connected to the co-culture device and the first culture medium source. The co-culture device includes: a membrane having a first main surface, and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface for culturing cells; a first flow path partially defined by the first main surface and disposed such that the first culture medium flows therethrough; and a second flow path partially defined by the second main surface and disposed such that the second culture medium flows therethrough. The first flow path has an inlet connected to the first conduit.

An embodiment of the disclosed technology provides an isolation device for isolating clustered particles. The isolation device can include an inlet configured to receive a fluid and an outlet configured to output the fluid. The fluid can include a plurality of non-clustered particles and a plurality of clustered particles. The isolation device can include a plurality of microwells. Each microwell can have a plurality of sidewalls and a bottom surfacing having a meshed trapping region. The meshed trapping region can capture the plurality of clustered particles while allowing the non-clustered particles to pass. The outputted fluid can include the plurality of non-clustered particle and be substantially free of the plurality of clustered particles.

A multilayered cell culture apparatus for the culturing of cells is disclosed. The cell culture apparatus is defined as an integral structure having a plurality of cell culture chambers in combination with tracheal space(s). The body of the apparatus has imparted therein gas permeable membranes in combination with tracheal spaces that will allow the free flow of gases between the cell culture chambers and the external environment. The flask body also includes an aperture that will allow access to the cell growth chambers by means of a needle or cannula. The size of the apparatus, and location of an optional neck and cap section, allows for its manipulation by standard automated assay equipment, further making the apparatus ideal for high throughput applications.

The present invention relates to devices including microfluidic devices, e.g. Skin on-Chip (Skin-Chip), for simulating a physiological response to agents and injury, including tattoo injury. In particular, a Skin-Chip is intended for use in replicating the interaction of tattoo ink with skin on a cellular level, including but not limited to mechanisms of wound healing following a tattoo gun and/or tattoo needle induced skin injury; ink particle effects such as pigment retention, pigment distribution and pigment clearance; inflammatory response to foreign particles, i.e. tattoo ink, etc. Further, effects of tattoo inks on simulated microfluidic skin is extended to determine effects of systemic ink exposure upon other organs through use of organ chips, e.g. liver-chips, kidney-chips, Lymph node-chips, etc. In some embodiments, safer ink formulations, e.g. less toxic ink particles, less toxic ink diluents, etc., are contemplated for development and use over currently available tattoo inks and diluents. Further contemplated is using a Tattooed Skin-Chip for developing rapid and non-toxic methods of removal of Tattoos in human skin.