Sterilisable, biocompatible, immersible, spectroscopic planar imaging system

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Current bioreactors use offline testing to analyse the quality and status of their samples. This is a costly and wasteful process, and limits the frequency at which the bioreactor contents can be tested. It is proposed that a system could be developed using a sterilisable monolithic image transfer system to allow continuous measurement of the reactor contents, without damaging or removing cells. To do this, a dual system would be used; it would be composed of a high quality imaging system capable of spatial resolution to 10 micro m, coupled with a Raman system capable of measuring the concentration of key nutrients within the medium. The imaging system will be used to perform cell counting, in order to calculate the cell concentration within the medium. One of the key concerns for such a technique is the damage that might be caused by injecting light into the cells. Part of this body of research will therefore revolve around measuring and analysing the causes of phototoxicity and photomutagenicity in human stem cells. This will feed into the development of the prototype machine, affecting the illumination intensity and wavelength.The aim of the project would be to test the viability of a dual imaging/Raman system for use in the processing of human stem cells, to publish data regarding the efficacy of dual imaging/Raman systems, and to feed into UCL's existing bioengineering facilities. The project would also investigate the problems associated with using optical measurement systems on sensitive biological matter, such as phototoxicity and photomutagenicity, and what precautions can be taken to negate or mitigate them.The benefit expected of the proposed system would be the ability to measure nutrient concentration over scales of less than a minute, whilst simultaneously measuring the cell concentration. Due to the nature of the monolithic image transfer plate, the Raman system could potentially be extended to allow for Raman imaging that could provide sub-second images of nutrient movement around cells, opening up the potential for research into the uptake rate of various nutrients during cellular processes.In addition to the benefits brought by the system, researching phototoxicity and its effects should open up the possibility of other optical methods for use in bioreactors. This might not be limited to sensing technologies, but also intentional cell mutation using light, or the manipulation of cells using light.The project would take the form of designing and building a prototype system, before verifying and demonstrating its efficacy experimentally. Expert opinions from bioengineers within the department will be sought to find potential improvements that would make the device more useful in the development of industrial and hospital medicine.This technology would align with several EPSRC Healthcare challenges. In particular, it addresses Developing Future Therapies, as it would greatly improve the processes used in developing future therapies, by allowing online measurement of the reactor. Cell therapies are minimally invasive, and could remove the need for damaging surgeries to remove, for example, cancerous tumours, Which would align with the Frontiers of Physical Intervention challenge. It develops the tools vital to the quantitative analysis of cellular manufacturing techniques, addressing the Manufacturing priority New Industrial Systems.