Interactive Microenvironment System
A culture cell for growing animal cells in vitro has sides and a bottom forming a volume. The volume contains a layer of nanofiber upon which animal cells can be cultured. The layer of nanofiber can be oriented or non-oriented. Multiple layers can be placed in the volume, where the layers have different composition and/or different porosity. The nanofiber can be, for example, surface treated or of a core-shell construction.
1 . A culture cell for growing animal cells in vitro, which comprises:
a cell having sides and a bottom forming a volume, said volume containing a layer of oriented nanofiber upon which animal cells can be cultured.
2 . The culture cell of claim 1 , wherein at least two layers of nanofiber are contained in said volume, at least one of said layers being oriented nanofiber.
3 . The culture cell of claim 2 , wherein said layers are formed of nanofiber having one or more of different morphology, porosity, density, electrical conductivity, or stiffness.
4 . The culture cell of claim 3 , wherein said layers are formed of nanofiber having different composition.
5 . The culture cell of claim 1 , an outer surface of said oriented nanofiber is subjected to treatment.
6 . The culture cell of claim 5 , wherein said treatment is one or more of a coating applied to said outer surface; said outer surface subjected to super-critical CO 2 treatment; said outer surface subjected to sub-critical CO 2 treatment; said outer surface subjected to a chemotactic source; or said outer surface subjected to treatment to form one or more of pores, dimples, grass, or hair.
7 . The culture cell of claim 6 , wherein said oriented nanofiber is coated with one or more of cells or biological milieu derived from homogenized whole organs, organ-derived fluids or matrices surrounding specific cells associated with either (a) an organ of interest or (b) a disease of interest.
8 . The culture cell of claim 1 , wherein said oriented nanofiber has a core/shell construction.
9 . The culture cell of claim 1 , wherein said oriented nanofiber has a linear density ranging from between about 1 fiber/mm to about 200,000 fibers/mm.
10 . A method for culturing animal cells in vitro, which comprises the steps of:
(a) in a cell having sides and a bottom forming a volume, placing a layer of oriented nanofiber in said volume;
(b) inoculating said oriented nanofiber layer with animal cells; and
(c) establishing cell culture conditions in said cell for culturing said animal cells.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least two layers of nanofiber are contained in said volume, at least one of said layers being oriented nanofiber.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein said layers are formed of nanofiber having one or more of different morphology, porosity, density, electrical conductivity, or stiffness.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said layers are formed of nanofiber having different composition.
14 . The method of claim 10 , an outer surface of said oriented nanofiber is subjected to treatment.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said treatment is one or more of a coating applied to said outer surface; said outer surface subjected to super-critical CO 2 treatment; said outer surface subjected to sub-critical CO 2 treatment; said outer surface subjected to a chemotactic source; or said outer surface subjected to treatment to form one or more of pores, dimples, grass, or hair.
16 . The method of claim 14 ,wherein said oriented nanofiber is coated with one or more of cells or biological milieu derived from homogenized whole organs, organ-derived fluids or matrices surrounding specific cells associated with either (a) an organ of interest or (b) a disease of interest.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said oriented nanofiber has a core/shell construction.
18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said oriented nanofiber has a linear density ranging from between about 1 fiber/mm to about 200,000 fibers/mm.
19 . The method of claim 10 , one or more types of cells are inoculated and at least two genetically different cell types are separated based on cell motility along the oriented nanofiber.
20 . The method of claim 10 , which additional comprises the step of in vitro evaluation of one or more of cosmetic products, cell radiation exposure, chemotherapeutics, dietary influences on cell development, cell-cell communication, anti-migratory compounds, cell separations, or oxygen tension effects.
21 . A method of making a culture cell for growing animal cells in vitro, which comprises the steps of:
(a) providing an array of culture cells having sides and a bottom forming a volume, wherein electrical ground is established between each said culture cell in said array; and
(b) electrospinning a layer of oriented nanofiber onto said array.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein material being subject to said electrospinning is dispersed in one or more of hexafluoroisoproponal (HFIP or HFP), acetone, dichloromethane, trifluoroacetic acid, acetic acid, petroleum either, or dimethylformamide.
23 . A method of making oriented nanofiber for use in a culture cell for growing animal cells in vitro, which comprises the steps of:
(a) electrospinning a layer of oriented nanofiber onto a moving surface to form oriented nanofiber; and
(b) collecting said oriented nanofiber from said surface.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein said collected oriented nanofiber is cut to length.
25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a bottomless well plate is glued onto said cut oriented nanofiber.
26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein material being subject to said electrospinning is dispersed in one or more of hexafluoroisoproponal (HFIP or HFP), acetone, dichloromethane, trifluoroacetic acid, acetic acid, petroleum either, or dimethylformamide.