Patent ID: 7977089

Claim:
A bioreactor for cultivating living cells in a liquid medium comprising: (a) a first substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface, defining a chamber therebetween for receiving and culturing the cells and receiving the liquid medium; (b) a barrier dividing the chamber into a first subchamber and a second subchamber, wherein the barrier comprises a porous material and has a porosity to allow the first subchamber and the second subchamber to be in fluid communication and allow at least one predetermined type of cells to permeate between the first subchamber and the second subchamber; (c) a second substrate positioned adjacent to the first surface of the first substrate; (d) a third substrate, wherein the third substrate is positioned adjacent to the second surface of the first substrate; (e) an electrochemical measuring system positioned in the third substrate and adapted for electrochemical measurements of the cells responsive to the liquid medium in at least one of the first subchamber and the second subchamber; (f) a fourth substrate positioned above the third substrate such that the third substrate forms an intermediate layer between the first substrate and the fourth substrate; and (g) means positioned in the fourth substrate and adapted for optical measurements of the cells responsive to the liquid medium in at least one of the first subchamber and the second subchamber.