RC-37

RC-37 Series inserts enable on-microscope assays using the popular glass bottomed 35 mm cell culture dishes.

• Designed for glass bottomed 35 mm cell culture dishes
• Permits imaging, recording, and perfusion in the culture dish
• Open and closed bath designs
• Designs for electric field stimulation available
• Incorporates Warner's diamond bath fluidics
• Ideal for rapid screening assays

The introduction of a thin, glass bottom on 35 mm culture dishes expanded the use of these popular tools dramatically. Applications such as live cell imaging, confocal microscopy, and time lapsed photography became possible. The ability, however, to easily exchange the extracellular environment by perfusion remained difficult at best, until now.

Warner's RC-37 Series inserts make perfusion of cell culture dishes a simple matter.  A feature in common with these inserts is the use of the glass bottomed, 35 mm culture dish for the floor of the chamber.  In most cases, this same culture dish contains the imaging sample.  When viewed with inverted microscopes, images are visualized through a single thickness of glass, usually 0.13-0.17 mm.  These inserts incorporate Warner's diamond-shaped bath which has been shown to produce a laminar flow across the chamber.  Since bath volumes are generally small, exchange times are measured in seconds even when flow rates are less than 1 ml/min.

Perfusion inserts are designed for use with 35 mm cell culture dishes from Willco Wells (D35522P and D3522B), Corning (25000), BD/Falcon (35-4077), MatTek, and NUNC.  Heating of these dishes is achieved by the use of one of Warner's microincubators (DH-35, DH-35i, or DH-40i).

Open Perfusion Inserts for Cell Culture Dishes

The RC-37W and RC-37F inserts are small volume imaging chambers featuring rapid solution exchange, short working distances and an open bath. These inserts were designed to be securely inserted into a 35 mm culture dish allowing a variety of assays to be performed on cultured cells. The RC-37W is designed for use with the Willco Wells dishes and the RC-37F is designed for use with Corning, Falcon, NUNC, and MatTek dishes.

Fluid is delivered to a perfusion inlet port and removed from the chamber by means of a height adjustable aspirator. These open perfusion dish inserts allow for the easy insertion of electrodes and enable the simultaneous perfusion, imaging, and recording of cells attached to the glass bottom. Included with these inserts is both C-Flex and PE-160 tubing.

Closed Perfusion Inserts for Cell Culture Dishes

The closed bath design of the RC-37WC and RC-37FC promotes an even solution exchange and eliminates changes in focus due to alterations in bath height.  In addition, studies involving physiological bicarbonate buffers can be performed with no gas loss at the chamber interface.  Fluid is delivered to an 18 gauge perfusion inlet port and removed from the chamber by means of an outlet port of the same gauge.

The top coverslip is held in place with a retainer and the dish becomes the chamber bottom.  The RC-37WC uses a 15 mm top coverslip and the RC-37FC uses an 18 mm top coverslip.  The distance between top and bottom coverslip on both chambers is 1 mm.  The RC-37WC fits dishes from Willco Wells while the RC-37FC fits dishes from Corning, Falcon, NUNC, and MatTek.

The RC-37WC is supplied with one box of CS15R coverslips (#1 thickness, 15 mm round, 100/pkg) and the RC-37FC is supplied with one box of CS18R coverslips (#1 thickness, 18 mm round, 100/pkg). Both chambers are supplied with 10 feet of PE-160 polyethylene tubing, 1 foot of C-Flex tubing, and tools to remove the top coverslip retainer.

Perfusion Inserts with Electric Field Stimulation for Cell Culture Dishes

The RC-37WS and RC-37FS perfusion chamber inserts are designed for applications requiring field stimulation and incorporate a pair of platinum electrodes into the periphery of the bath area. Both inserts feature a slotted bath to promote a laminar solution flow and to insure a uniform electric field.  These models include a perfusion inlet port and a 16 gauge, height adjustable aspirator.  An agar bridge well is provided to accommodate a bath ground electrode.

The RC-37WS fits Willco Wells dishes while the RC-37FS fits Corning, MatTek, NUNC, and Falcon dishes.  Both chambers are supplied with 10 feet of PE-160 polyethylene tubing.