Three-dimensional micro-culture system with a silicon-based cell array device for multi-channel drug sensitivity test

The oxygen consumption rate of three-dimensional cultured cells integrated in a silicon chip was non-invasively quantified by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The cells were embedded in a collagen gel matrix and entrapped in silicon microstructures. The oxygen concentration profile near the cell panel agreed well with the theoretically determined spherical diffusion. The oxygen consumption rate (F) of a single cell was calculated as (1.0 ± 0.19) × 10−16 mol s−1. The oxygen consumption of a cell panel increased along with the cellular proliferation; the increase in respiration activity was in accordance with the increase in cell numbers. Our three-dimensional micro-culture system combined with SECM enables continuous quantification of the oxygen consumption rate using very small amounts of sample.