Patent ID: 8765472

Claim:
A method for immobilizing at least two cells at a plane surface in a multicellular arrangement with a mechanical equilibrium, said method comprising: providing a device for adhering at least two interacting cells in a multicellular arrangement with a mechanically stable and reproducible conformation that comprises: a plate defining a plane surface; and a set of at least two adhesive patterns on said plane surface, wherein the at least two adhesive patterns are sufficiently separated from each other by an essentially non-adhesive intercalating area for preventing a cell on a first adhesive pattern to reach another adhesive pattern but sufficiently near to allow interaction between the cells, wherein the distance between two adhesive patterns is between about ⅔ D and about 4/3 D, D being the diameter of a surface S and S is the surface covered by a cell without any constraint, the essentially non-adhesive intercalating area comprising a single adhesive zone that is less than ½ D of S and that optionally connects two adhesive patterns and is suitable for not allowing the cell to reach another adhesive pattern and each adhesive pattern has an area which is less than 80% of S; and, the area covered by the at least two adhesive patterns and the intercalating area is sufficient to adhere at least two animal cells, and wherein the set of at least two adhesive patterns is isolated from other sets by a cytophobic surrounding region; and exposing at least 1 adhesive pattern to at least one cell for a period of time sufficient to allow the cell(s) to divide into at least two cells on said adhesive pattern, and to interact with and reach a multicellular arrangement with a mechanical equilibrium with a cell or cells on a second adhesive pattern.