Simple fitting & connections
Microfluidic cell culture chip
OOC-FLOW-01The user-friendliest perfused cell culture chip
Channel geometry for 2D and 3D microfluidic cell cultures can be somewhat complex, with injection of multiple liquids, integration of membranes or width-varying capillaries, or lack of versatility in configurations designed for specific applications. Mechanical and chemical stimulation can be difficult to control, and the design of the perfused cell culture chip can sometimes require deep knowledge of fluid handling.
BE-Flow is Beonchip’s user-friendliest microfluidic cell culture device. It can be used for long-term 2D or 3D culture in two independent channels. BE-Flow is compatible with any microfluidic pump system, and can be used with just a rocker thanks to the fluid reservoirs situated by the inlets/outlets. This is an ideal device for vascular research, where shear stress plays a major role in gene expression.
Main benefits
Easy to use- Biomimetic environment
2D or 3D culture
- Sterile
Dedicated to cell biology
Features of the microfluidic cell culture chip
Easy to use
The Be-Flow perfused cell culture chip is compatible with all kinds of optical microscopy and has the dimensions of a microscope slide, making it easy to handle under a microscope.
Easy to connect
Be-Flow is compatible with all Fluigent pressure-based flow controllers and can easily be coupled to flow sensors and valves.
No unspecific absorption
In contrast to PDMS devices, there is no non-specific absorption of chemical agents with Be-Flow, allowing for precise control of chemicals inside the chip. In fact, the chip is made of lipophobic thermoplastic materials.
Cell recovery
The cell cultures used in the Be-Flow can be easily recovered for further experimentation.
Related applications
What cell culture models are possible?
Perform 2D culture experiments under flow, controlling mechanical shear stress on the cells in two independent channels.
The Be-Flow perfused cell culture chip allows 2D culture on all walls of the device: top, bottom, etc. (see technical note). Co-culture with monolayers of two different cell types is also possible.
Investigate the effect of circulating particles such as circulating tumor cells, immune system cells, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and many more in a 2D culture.
What applications are possible with this microfluidic cell culture device?
BE-Flow is the ideal device for research on the effect of flow and mechanical stress on a cell culture. Some of the most common applications include mechanical shear stress studies, interstitial flow on 3D cultures, rolling and adhesion, or circulating particle experiments.
Vascular research: Because the BE-flow microfluidic cell culture chip was designed for vascular research, some of the most common applications of the BE-Flow device are related to this field of knowledge. Endothelial vascular cells like HUVEC or HAEC are influenced by various forces in the human body due to blood flow. Using the BE-Flow, it is possible to precisely control shear stress and transmural pressure at the same time. These forces play an important role in the gene expression of HUVEC cells and their proper development. In addition, these forces can be modified to a disease level to study phenomena such as thrombosis, atherosclerosis or rolling adhesion of circulating particles in the endothelial tissues.
Specifications
Chip dimensions
| Height | Width | Length | Total volume | |
| Each channel | 375 µm | 1.5 mm | 45 mm | 31.2 µL |
| Inlet/outlet | 7 mm | UNF 1/4″ – 28 | UNF 1/4″ – 28 | 130 µL |
| Medium reservoir | 5 mm | 3.6 mm | 8.8 mm | 185 µL |
Getting Started
Coating and cell culture