Abstract
We propose a long-term cell culturing device for controlling the micro-environment, and evaluate cell proliferation potency in the selective change of chemical/physical conditions. The conventional studies about the cytotoxicity have evaluated complex effects with these chemical and physical factors such as the channel material, the cell concentration, the channel dimension, the pressure and the flow rate. So, it has not been individually clarified that each chemical/physical factor affect the proliferative capacity of biological cells. In this study, we evaluated the proliferative capacity of biological cells affected by each chemical/physical factor by controlling the micro-environment using the proposed portable microdevice. The proposed device integrates a portable perfusion system composed of a culturing channel, a micropump with batteries, and a reservoir for replacing and storing culture medium with suspended cells. It was confirmed that the proposed device selectively controls the physical and the chemical factors due to high portability and controllability by minimizing the dead volume.
