Patent ID: 9217130
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: C12M

Abstract:
1. A method of culturing cells comprising: (a) disposing carbon nanotubes in a dispersion medium to form a mixture thereof, wherein the dispersion medium is a solvent primarily comprised of one of water and a lower alcohol having 1-4 carbons and wherein the carbon nanotubes have a concentration in the mixture of less than or equal to 20 mg/L, (b) subjecting the mixture to ultrasonic vibrations to form a dispersion, in which the carbon nanotubes are in a highly-dispersed state with no visible agglomerates, (c) applying an amount of the dispersion in the highly-dispersed state directly to a surface of a vessel such that a resulting carbon nanotube thin-film after drying will contain carbon nanotube material in an amount of at least 0.001 μg and not more than 0.1 μg per cm (d) drying the applied dispersion on the surface to form the carbon nanotube thin-film, (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) at least 10 times to form a built-up carbon nanotube layer structure having at least 10 layers of carbon nanotube thin-films and such that the built-up carbon nanotube layer structure contains the carbon nanotube material in an amount of at least 0.02 μg and not more than 10 μg per cm (f) sterilizing the vessel having the built-up carbon nanotube layer structure, (g) disposing cells in the sterilized vessel so that the cells directly contact the built-up carbon nanotube layer structure, and (h) subjecting the vessel having the cells disposed therein to cell culturing conditions; wherein steps (c) and (d) are carried out in an environment having a relative humidity of less than or equal to 30% and the dispersion contains substantially no polymer ingredients.