• 简体中文
  • 한국어
  • Deutsch
Fluigent
  • Research
      • Flow EZ™ microfluidic flow controller
      • Microfluidic Research Equipment
      • Microfluidic Instruments
        • Omi, an Automated Organ-On-A-Chip Platform
        • Automated Perfusion System for Spatial Omics 
        • Microfluidic Pressure Based Flow Controller
        • Microfluidic Sensors
        • Microfluidic Valves
        • Pressure Control Reservoirs
        • Microfluidic Pressure Sources
        • Microfluidic Chips
        • Microfluidic Accessories
      • Software Solutions
        • Lab Integration Software
        • Real-Time Control & Lab Automation Software 
      • Microfluidic Packs
        • UV-crosslinked microcapsule production platform 
        • Encapsulation Platform for FACS
        • Microfluidic Complex Emulsion Production Platform
        • Microfluidic Application Packs
        • Microfluidic Starter Packs
      • Research Applications
        • Microfluidics for Cell Analysis
        • Microfluidics for Organ-on-chip Cell culture
        • Microfluidics for Droplet Generation
        • Microfluidics for Cell Biology
      • Subscribe to the newsletter
  • Industrial
      • Microfluidic OEM
      • Microfluidic OEM Devices
        • Microfluidic OEM Components
        • Customizable OEM Flow Control Modules
      • Fully Custom Microfluidic Device
      • Custom microfluidic device
      • Technologies
        • A Microfluidic Pressure Controller Comparison for Your Ultimate Fluid Control System
        • 5 reasons to choose OEM pressure controllers over OEM syringe pumps for microfluidic applications
        • Microfluidic recirculation system 
        • DFC, “Self-Learning” Microfluidic Flow Control Algorithm
        • Non-Intrusive Flow Sensing Technology
        • Compact All-In-One Microfluidic Micropump
        • Liquid Stirring Solutions
      • Industrial Applications
        • Combining Microfluidics and Spectroscopy
        • Valve Automation with the F-OEM for Microfluidic Applications
        • Localization microscopy and flow control for multiplexing 
        • Contamination-free Liquid Handling System
        • Microfluidic Drug Discovery 
        • Flow Expertise for Cell Encapsulation and Single-Cell Analysis
        • Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR)
      • Subscribe to the newsletter
  • Markets & Applications
    • Microfluidics in Life Science
    • Microfluidics for Pharmaceutical Applications
    • Microfluidics for Food testing & Agriculture
    • Microfluidics in Cosmetics
    • Microfluidics in Water analysis
  • Company
    • About us
    • Fluigent’s Academic Partners
      • Scientific Partners
      • Fluigent’s Brand Ambassadors
      • Center Partners
    • Team
    • News
    • Events & Webinars
    • Fluigent Newsletter
    • Fluigent’s Distributors
    • Careers
  • Resources & Support
      • Expert Reviews: Basics of Microfluidics
        • General overview of microfluidics
        • Advantages of pressure-based microfluidics
        • Microfluidics tips
        • Droplet & Particle Generation
        • Microfluidic cell biology
        • Industrial / OEM Expertise
        • Funded research program
      • FAQ
      • Videos
        • Expertise videos
        • Product presentation videos
        • Tutorial videos
      • Expertise
        • Videos
        • Microfluidics Article Reviews
        • Microfluidic Application Notes
        • Microfluidics case studies
        • Interviews & Testimonials
        • Microfluidics White Papers
      • Documentation
        • CAD
        • Fluigent Catalog
        • Fluigent products manual
        • Fluigent Products Datasheets
        • Safety datasheet
        • Fluigent Media Kit product icons & images
      • Microfluidic Calculators
        • Shear Stress Calculator
        • Pressure & Flow Rate Calculator
        • Droplet Size Calculator
      • Download software
        • FEZ and Link Firmware Updater​
        • OxyGEN
        • Software Development Kit
        • Discontinued software
      • Subscribe to the newsletter
  • Webshop
  • Contact us
Home » Research » Microfluidic Instruments » Microfluidic Chips » Cell Culture, Organ on a chip and Microscopy » Flow gradient chip for 3D cell cultures

Flow gradient chip for 3D cell cultures 

[OOC-GRAD-05]

    Be-Gradient, flow gradient chip

    Designed for the application of electrochemical gradients to 3D cell cultures.

    The Flow Gradient chip is Beonchip’s device designed for the application of electrochemical gradients to 3D cell cultures. Be-Gradient is compatible with any type of optical microscopy (inverted phase contrast, confocal, fluorescence..). The chip consists of a central chamber for cell culture and two lateral channels connecting to the central chamber through 3 small microchannels. Lateral channels are meant to simulate blood vessels. 2D culture is also possible for adherent cells not only in the central chamber but also in the lateral channels.

    Ask for a quoteBuy online
    Flow gradient chip fo r 3D cell cultures
    Main benefits
    • USER FRIENDLY
      Easy to use

      Simple fitting & connections

    • Biocompatible
      Biomimetic environment

      2D and 3D cell culture

    • Sterile
      Dedicated to cell biology

    What is a flow gradient microfluidic chip ?  

    A flow gradient chip is a device that combines microfluidics and electrochemical techniques to create controlled and precise biochemical environments for various applications, such as chemical analysis, cell studies, drug testing, and more. 

    It utilizes electrochemical reactions to create concentration gradients of specific chemical within the microfluidic channels. A concentration gradient is a gradual change in the concentration of a substance across a distance. This gradient is created by introducing different concentrations of the chemicals at different locations on the chip and allowing them to diffuse and mix within the microfluidic channels. 

    3D cell culture models with gradients

    Apply an electrochemical gradient to your 3D cell culture. First mix your cells in a liquid hydrogel and seed them into the central chamber. After hydrogel polymerization has been completed, perfuse culture media with different concentrations of a chemical compound through the lateral channels and monitor the effect in real time. 

    Flow gradient chip

    Be-gradient Features

    Easy to Use

    The chip is compatible with any type of optical microscopy and its slide format has been chosen for easy handling under a microscope. 

    Easy to Connect

    The Beonchip device is compatible with all Fluigent pressure-based flow controllers

    No Unspecific Absorption

    Unlike in other PDMS devices, Be -Gradient is made of lipophobic thermoplastic materials and does not present unspecific drug absorption issues. It allows immunohistochemistry with fluorescent detection 

    Cell Recovery

    The cell cultures used in the chip can be easily recovered for further experimentation. 

    Related applications

    • Microfluidics for Organ-on-chip Cell culture

      Discover

    Digital High-speed Microscope

    Read more
    flow ez microfluidic flow and pressure controller

    Microfluidic flow controller

    Read more
    microfluidic flow control system

    Microfluidic Flow Control System

    Read more

    Applications with a flow gradient microfluidic chip 

    The flow gradient chip is a microfluidic chip designed with a very specific function in mind, studying a 3D cell culture under an electrochemical gradient. This device allows experiments that can never be done in a petri dish such as the application of nutrient, oxygen or drug gradient, the study of cell migration under these conditions, angiogenesis studies and much more. 

    Chemotactic migration studies

    The video shows a Multicellular spheroid embedded in collagen and introduced to the microchamber. A gradient of fetal bovine serum (FBS) was established across the central chamber by addition of growth media containing serum into one of the lateral channels. 

    We observe that spheroids of oral squamous carcinoma cells OSC–19 invade collectively in the direction of the gradient of FBS. This invasion is more directional and aggressive than that observed for individual cells in the same experimental setup. In contrast to spheroids of OSC–19, U87-MG multicellular spheroids migrate as individual cells. 

    A study of the exposure of spheroids to the chemoattractant shows that the rate of diffusion into the spheroid is slow and thus, the chemoattractant wave engulfs the spheroid before diffusing through it. 

    The control of the chemotactic gradient across the microchamber, coupled to the ability to observe and closely monitor the system over time, makes BE-Gradient a powerful technique for the study of the chemotactic process. In fact, 3D matrices can mimic in vivo conditions and thus serve as precious tools for cell migration and chemotaxis studies.  

    In recent years, collective invasion has been proposed as the dominant migration mode during epithelial tumor development. Using the flow gradient chip enables 3D cell culture process to be observed and analyzed in vitro. 

    Necrotic core generation

    Necrotic core generation within the microdevice

    HCT-116 cells were embedded in collagen hydrogel in the central microchamber of the BEOnChip device. 40 million HCT-116 cells/ml were confined in the central microchamber and cell viability was evaluated at the indicated times using calcein (CAM) to stain viable cells green and propidium iodide (PI) to stain dead cells red. 

    The graphs show CAM or PI fluorescence intensity profile along the delimited region in the images. Position of the pillars is delimited by a grey dashed line. The width of the necrotic core after 6 days was measured as the distance between those positions in the microchamber that reached 50% of the maximum PI fluorescence intensity (blue dashed horizontal line). Necrotic core width was 1643 ± 9 μM, p-value < 0.05. Scale bar is 400 μm. 

    Glucose gradient

    Green fluorescent glucose analogue (NBDG, 200 μ M) was perfused through the left lateral channel of the flow gradient microfluidic chip and the diffusion profile was studied in the absence or presence of cells. 

    The graph shows the NBDG diffusion profile across the central microchamber after 90 min, demonstrating that NBDG was able to penetrate through the collagen hydrogel. The diffusion profile slope was calculated in the absence of cells or in the presence of HCT-116 or U-251 MG cells. Scale bar is 400 μm. 

    NBDG diffusion profile across the central microchamber

    Flow gradient Chip Specifications 

    Dimensions

    HeightWidthLengthTotal volume
    Central channel300 µm1 mm39 mm12.6 µL
    Lateral channel300 µm1 mm50 mm14.5 µL
    Chamber300 µm2 mm4.6 mm3 µL
    Inlet/outler8 mm–2.3 mm18.4 µL
    Reservoir6 mm 3.6 m 7 mm 151.2 µL

    3D cell culture with gradients

    Getting Started


    omi organ models development

    Expertise & resources

    • Microfluidic Application Notes Development of a human gut-on-chip to assess the effect of shear stress on intestinal functions Read more
    • Expert Reviews: Basics of Microfluidics How to choose a microfluidic chip Read more
    • Fluigent Products Datasheets BE-Gradient datasheet Download
    • Expert Reviews: Basics of Microfluidics Passive and active mechanical stimulation in microfluidic systems  Read more
    • Expert Reviews: Basics of Microfluidics Mimicking in-vivo environments: biochemical and biomechanical stimulation  Read more

    Related products

    • flow ez microfluidic flow and pressure controller

      Microfluidic flow controller

      Flow EZ™

      See the offer
    • FLOW UNIT microfluidic flow sensor

      Bidirectional Microfluidic Flow Sensor

      FLOW UNIT | FLOW UNIT +

      See the offer
    • Automated sequential perfusion microfluidic

      Automated Perfusion System for Spatial Omics 

      Aria

      See the offer
    • Microfluidic cell culture chip

      Be-Flow perfused cell culture chip

      See the offer
    • Double channel Microfluidic chip for hypoxic cell culture

      BE-DoubleFlow

      See the offer
    • air liquid interface cell culture chip

      Air Liquid Interface Cell culture versatile chip 

      Be-Transflow

      See the offer
    • Omi, an Automated Organ-On-A-Chip Platform

      Mimic Microphysiological Conditions in Organ-on-a-Chip Studies

      See the offer
    • CELL PERFUSION PACK

      High Throughput Cell Perfusion Pack

      High Throughput Cell Perfusion Pack

      See the offer

    Accessories

    • Airtight metal tube caps for microfluidics

      Discover
    Logo fluigent green and blue

    67 avenue de Fontainebleau
    94 270 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre

    Research

    • Microfluidic Research Applications
    • Instruments
    • Software solutions
    • Packages

    Industrial

    • Products

    Resources

    • Microfluidic Application Notes
    • Microfluidics case studies
    • Expert Reviews: Basics of Microfluidics
    • Interviews & Testimonials

    Support & Tools

    • Documentation
    • Download software

    Company

    • About us
    • Team
    • Events & Webinars
    • Newsletter
    • Fluigent’s Distributors
    • Careers

    Legal

    • Terms & Conditions of Sale
    • Legal Terms & Privacy Policy