Patent ID: 8828711

Claim:
A flow chamber for detecting an analyte comprising: a first compartment, wherein said first compartment comprises: a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet for allowing a fluid to flow through said first compartment; a second compartment; a first analyte sensor positioned within said second compartment for detecting an analyte produced by cells located in said first compartment; a permeable membrane, wherein said permeable membrane comprises: a first surface that is exposed to fluid flow in said first compartment; and a second surface in said second compartment, wherein said permeable membrane separates said first compartment from said second compartment, and said permeable membrane has a pore size in a range of from about 0.1 μm to about 12 μm and a porosity of no more than 0.14; and a flow rate controller for controlling flow of a fluid between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet in said first compartment in a direction substantially parallel to a surface of said permeable membrane, said flow rate controller being configured to cycle said fluid flow rate between a control flow rate and a plurality or different higher flow rates each of the higher flow rates exerting a different shear stress on the surface of the membrane in said first compartment.