Patent ID: 8030061

Claim:
A pharmacokinetic-based microscale culture device, comprising: a first microscale chamber containing a first type of cell, wherein the first microscale chamber is dimensioned to maintain the first type of cell under conditions that give rise to least one pharmacokinetic parameter value in vitro that is comparable to a value for the same at least one pharmacokinetic parameter obtained with respect to the same type of cell in vivo, wherein the at least one pharmacokinetic parameter comprises metabolism by cells, wherein the first microscale chamber comprises a first inlet and a first outlet for flow of culture medium, and wherein metabolism by cells is achieved by at least any one of tissue size ratio, tissue to blood volume ratio, drug residence time, flow rate, circulatory transit time, liquid residence time, and liquid to cell ratio; a second microscale chamber containing a second type of cell, wherein the second microscale chamber is dimensioned to maintain the second type of cell under conditions that give rise to at least a second pharmacokinetic parameter value in vitro comparable to a value for the same at least a second pharmacokinetic parameter obtained with respect to the same second type of cell in vivo, wherein the second microscale chamber comprises a second inlet and a second outlet for flow of culture medium; and a microfluidic channel interconnecting the first and second microscale chambers wherein the microfluidic channel is dimensioned to transport a culture medium, and wherein the microscale culture device is dimensioned to maintain at least one desired value for shear stress under a condition of flow of the culture medium.