Patent ID: 9360414
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method of quantifying surface hydration in an air-liquid culture of epithelial cells on a membrane, comprising the steps of: a. culturing epithelial cells in an air-liquid culture on a membrane in a plurality of wells, the wells each comprising a membrane and a wall about a perimeter of the membrane, the membrane contacting a cell culture medium on a side opposite the cells; b. illuminating the plurality of wells in a manner such that a volume of a meniscus of liquid on the cells, if present, can be determined from an aspect of light in at least one of the plurality of wells; c. imaging an entire surface of the membrane and the wall of the plurality of wells with an imaging device, thereby producing an image of the at least one well; d. producing from the image, using a computer-implemented method, a plurality of profiles of the aspect of light extending radially from a central point of the at least one well to different points on the wall of the at least one well; e. calculating, using a computer-implemented method, a volume of liquid in the meniscus of the at least one well using the plurality of profiles of the aspect of light as representative of a total volume of liquid present on the cells, thereby determining a measurement of the volume of liquid on the cultured epithelial cells in the at least one well; and providing an output from calculating step (e) of the volume of liquid on the cultured epithelial cells in the at least one well.