A micro-incubator for cell and tissue imaging
Résumé
A low-cost micro-incubator for the imaging of dynamic processes in living cells and tissues has been developed. This micro-incubator provides a tunable environment which can be altered to study the response of cell monolayers for several days as well as relatively thick tissue samples and tissue engineered epithelial tissues in experiments lasting several hours. Samples within the incubator are contained in a sterile cavity closed by a gas permeable membrane. The incubator can be positioned in any direction and used on an inverted as well as on an upright microscope. The temperature is regulated with a Peltier system controlled with a sensor positioned close to the sample to be able to compensate for any changes in temperature. Rapid changes in the environment can be applied to the sample because of the fast response of the Peltier system and the sample's adaptations to induced changes in the environment can be monitored. To evaluate the performance of the micro-incubator we report on studies using cultured cells in monolayers, on monolayers of cells stretched to breaking point on a distensible membrane, on cells in open 3D fibrous scaffolds and on fluorescently labelled polymersome penetration into 3D tissue engineered oral mucosa.
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
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