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PubMed · 11540305

Versatile fluid-mixing device for cell and tissue microgravity research applications.

W W Wilfinger·C S Baker·E L Kunze·A T Phillips·R H Hammerstedt
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Abstract

Microgravity life-science research requires hardware that can be easily adapted to a variety of experimental designs and working environments. The Biomodule is a patented, computer-controlled fluid-mixing device that can accommodate these diverse requirements. A typical shuttle payload contains eight Biomodules with a total of 64 samples, a sealed containment vessel, and a NASA refrigeration-incubation module. Each Biomodule contains eight gas-permeable Silastic T tubes that are partitioned into three fluid-filled compartments. The fluids can be mixed at any user-specified time. Multiple investigators and complex experimental designs can be easily accommodated with the hardware. During flight, the Biomodules are sealed in a vessel that provides two levels of containment (liquids and gas) and a stable, investigator-controlled experimental environment that includes regulated temperature, internal pressure, humidity, and gas composition. A cell microencapsulation methodology has also been developed to streamline launch-site sample manipulation and accelerate postflight analysis through the use of fluorescent-activated cell sorting. The Biomodule flight hardware and analytical cell encapsulation methodology are ideally suited for temporal, qualitative, or quantitative life-science investigations.

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Cell Culture TechniquesCells, CulturedEquipment DesignLife Support SystemsSpace FlightSpacecraftWeightlessnessJournal ArticleResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

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W W Wilfinger, C S Baker, E L Kunze, A T Phillips, R H Hammerstedt. Versatile fluid-mixing device for cell and tissue microgravity research applications.. https://doi.org/10.2514/3.55717

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