Sterilisable, biocompatible, immersible, spectroscopic planar imaging system

目前的生物反应器使用离线测试来分析其样品的质量和状态。这是一个昂贵且浪费的过程，并且限制了生物反应器内容物可以被测试的频率。有人提出，可以开发一种系统，使用可消毒的单片图像传输系统，以允许连续测量反应器内容物，而不损坏或删除细胞。为此，将使用双系统;它将由能够达到10微米空间分辨率的高质量成像系统与能够测量培养基内关键营养物浓度的拉曼系统相结合组成。成像系统将用于进行细胞计数，以计算培养基中的细胞浓度。这种技术的关键问题之一是将光注入细胞可能造成的损害。因此，该研究机构的一部分将围绕测量和分析人类干细胞中光毒性和光致突变性的原因。该项目的目的是测试双成像/拉曼系统用于处理人类干细胞的可行性，发布关于双成像/拉曼系统功效的数据，并将其应用于伦敦大学学院现有的生物工程设施。该项目还将调查与使用光学测量系统对敏感生物物质（如光毒性和光致突变性）有关的问题，以及可以采取哪些预防措施来消除或减轻这些问题。拟议系统的预期好处是能够在不到一分钟的时间内测量营养浓度，同时测量细胞浓度。由于单片图像转移板的性质，拉曼系统可以潜在地扩展到允许拉曼成像，其可以提供细胞周围营养物运动的亚秒级图像，从而为研究细胞过程期间各种营养物的摄取速率开辟了可能性。除了系统带来的益处之外，研究光毒性及其影响应开辟其他光学方法用于生物反应器的可能性。这可能不仅限于传感技术，还包括利用光进行的有意细胞突变，或者利用光操纵细胞，该项目将采取设计和建造原型系统的形式，然后通过实验验证和展示其功效。该部门将寻求生物工程师的专家意见，以找到潜在的改进，使该设备在工业和医院医学的发展中更有用。这项技术将与EPSRC医疗保健的几个挑战保持一致。特别是，它解决了开发未来疗法，因为它将通过允许对反应器进行在线测量来大大改进开发未来疗法所使用的过程。细胞疗法是微创的，可以消除对破坏性手术的需要，例如，切除癌性肿瘤，这将与物理干预挑战的前沿保持一致。它开发了对单元制造技术的定量分析至关重要的工具，解决了制造业优先的新工业系统。

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.