A vital and innovative component of the HTAS is the unique tissue/membrane holding “cartridge”. These cartridges can “hold” live tissue or artificial membranes and be automatically inserted into the HTAS in a self-sealing manner.

Currently, two types of cartridges are available to accommodate both the flat "coin" sample of a tissue or artificial membrane or the tubular sample of tissue (e.g. intestinal). These cartridges have dual chamber assemblies with the supplying chamber and the receiver chamber interfaced with each other through the membrane (tissue sample).  Tissue samples are inserted into cartridges, sealed and installed into the holding frame of the HTAS in an automated fashion.

Both chambers of the cartridge have been designed to hermetically accommodate opposing spring loaded fittings, which introduce all conduits and testing electrodes and serve as a holding and sealing clamp.  Fluidic conduits have a multi-lumen design to accommodate parallel lines carrying buffers, compounds, gases and sample acquisition. 

A frame holding an array of the cartridge chamber assemblies is installed into an incubation chamber, which will accommodate all the spring-loaded feeding fittings and provides a controllable environment for ADMET studies. The chamber assemblies are in constant fluid communication with buffer, gas, compound and sample reservoirs located outside the incubation chamber. The array of chamber assemblies can rotate within the incubation chamber along its long axis to provide horizontal or vertical positioning of the membranes, and gravitational and centrifugal leveling of compounds to enhance liquid to membrane interactions.

Please contact us for more detailed information.