Modular biosystem for the culture and characterisation of scarce epithelial cell tissues

We have designed and realised two types of microsystems for the culture and electrical characterisation of epithelial cell layers for cell based diagnostic applications. When biological tissues to be tested are scarce, for example in the case of cell cultures from transgenic mice or from biopsies taken from patients, there is a tremendous advantage in having a cell culture mini-chamber, which permits physiological measurements on epithelial cell surfaces of the order of 1 mm2 or smaller. Our devices are modular and are realised using modern micropatterning, micromachining and moulding techniques. They are configured with integrated Ag and Ag/AgCl electrical electrodes allowing an on-line impedance or potential measurement of the epithelial cell layer. We present the electrical characterization of the electrodes in physiological solution and the impedimetric characterization of our devices before and after cell culture.