VITROCELL® Cloud Alpha 12

For exposure of cell cultures to liquid aerosols at the Air/Liquid Interface

The VITROCELL® Cloud Alpha 6 is our newest innovation and presents a great leap forward in automated exposure of cell cultures at the Air/Liquid Interface (ALI). It combines high deposition efficiency with ease of use. The development is based on the well-known and frequently published VITROCELL® Cloud formats (6-, 12- and 24-well). It’s functionality enables fully automated processes with an all-in-one control unit. Everyday experiments at the Air/Liquid Interface have never been easier.

The new Cloud Alpha 6 was developed as a result of numerous customer requests and is capable to expose mammalian cell cultures in 12- or 24-well sized cell culture inserts. All commercial brands are supported.

The Cloud system is suitable for nebulization of solutions and suspensions. Fields of application are virus research, screening of inhaled drugs and toxicity testing of inhaled substances such as chemicals or nanoparticles.

 

Exposure at the Air/Liquid Interface

In response to the scientific need to expose in physiologically relevant conditions, the VITROCELL® Cloud Alpha exposure devices have been specifically designed to enable direct exposure of mammalian cells or tissue at the Air/Liquid Interface. Here the cell cultures are not covered with media as opposed to submerged conditions which cause an undesired inter­action of the formerly airborne substances with the culture media.

Cell systems cultivated on membrane inserts are exposed at the Air/Liquid Interface (ALI) so that the test substances are received directly. This approach allows for more credible and authentic results than by submerged exposure due to a closer replication of the human physiology.

 

Figure: Air/Liquid Cultivation and Exposure in Exposure Module:
A: Direct and controlled ­exposure of test ­atmosphere to cells
B: Cells on membrane
C: Media below cells

 

 

 

How the Vitrocell ® Cloud works

After pipetting the suspension, exposure to the cell cultures takes place in two steps, each with three phases:

 

Step 1 - Clean Air Control

Step 2 - Test Aerosol