Multi-well-based cell culture test device for rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing

Inventors

Kwon, Sung Hoon • Jeong, Hyun Yong • LIM, Tae Geun • Choi, Jung Il • KIM, Eun Guen

Assignees

Quantamatrix Inc

Abstract

Provided is a multi-well-based cell culture test device having an array structure of a plurality of aligned well units. Each of the well units includes a first sub-well adapted to accommodate a first fluid, a second sub-well adapted to accommodate a second fluid, and a barrier located between the first sub-well and the second sub-well to partition the first sub-well and the second sub-well. The first sub-well has a recess in the depth direction with respect to its bottom to accommodate a solid thin film formed by solidifying the first fluid. The barrier has such a height that the first fluid does not overflow into the second sub-well when the first fluid is loaded into the first sub-well to fill the recess.

Core Innovation

Disclosed is a multi-well-based cell culture test device having an array structure of a plurality of aligned well units, each of which comprises a first sub-well adapted to accommodate a first fluid, a second sub-well adapted to accommodate a second fluid, and a barrier region located between and directly contacting the first sub-well and the second sub-well. The first sub-well has a first bottom surface and a recess located at a center of the first bottom surface, where the recess is configured to accommodate a solid thin film formed by solidifying the first fluid, and the first bottom surface is flat.

In the device, the second sub-well has a second bottom surface, and the barrier region consists of a barrier bottom surface and two sidewalls. A level of the barrier bottom surface is higher than a level of the first bottom surface and a level of the second bottom surface such that the first fluid does not overflow into the second sub-well when the first fluid is loaded into the first sub-well to fill the recess. This aligns fluid handling so that formation of the solid thin film in the recess occurs without overflow into the second sub-well.

The recess accommodates a solid thin film formed by solidifying the first fluid, and the barrier region separates the first and second sub-wells while directly contacting them. The array of aligned well units supports a cell culture test arrangement in which the second sub-well accommodates a second fluid separate from the first fluid. The structural relationship between the first sub-well bottom, the recess, and the higher barrier bottom surface is used to maintain separation during loading and thin-film formation.

Claims Coverage

Independent claim clm-00001 defines the multi-well-based cell culture test device with aligned well units, separated first and second sub-wells by a barrier region, and a recess that forms a solid thin film from the first fluid without overflow. Dependent claims further specify structural features of the recess and barrier, and specify the nature of the first and second fluids.

The independent claim is directed to an arrayed multi-well cell culture test device with aligned well units where a barrier region directly contacts and separates a first sub-well and a second sub-well. A recess in a flat first bottom surface forms a solid thin film by solidifying the first fluid, while a higher barrier bottom surface level prevents overflow of the first fluid into the second sub-well. Dependent features further define recess bottom structures and specify fluid characterizations.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications