Study of long-term viability of endothelial cells for lab-on-a-chip devices

Biosensors that employ live mammalian cells as sensing elements require precise information about the cell longevity. These biosensors could be stored in an incubator and used during the lifetime of the cells. This paper is a study of the longevity of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) that are used as sensorial component for cell-based biosensors. Different types of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) cell culturing chambers along with the culturing conditions required for BAECs to survive long term in lab on a chip systems are presented. The electric cell-substrate impedance (ECIS) technique was used to monitor cell viability over extended time periods. Media was automatically recirculated over the cells by a portable pump, in order to create the conditions required for testing the sensor in the field. It was demonstrated the BAECs could survive up to 37 days.