Philip Morris Products S.a.

Shoaib Majeed

Antonin Sandoz

Pierre Herve

Sandro Steiner

Julia Hoeng

David Bovard

There is described herein a perforated structure for use in a simulated respiratory tract, the structure comprising a perforated envelope housing one or more branched channels, wherein each perforation is an open terminal of a branch. Also described is a pump for displacing a volume of gas that includes one or more branched channels, such as the perforated structure described herein. Use of the pump in a system for determining the interaction between a test atmosphere and a simulated respiratory tract is also described, together with methods and uses of such a system.

Perforated structure

There is described herein a system for determining the interaction between a test atmosphere and a simulated respiratory tract, said system comprising: (a) a first pump comprising: (i) a chamber configured for containing a first volume of gas comprising a test atmosphere; (ii) a first port adapted for receiving and outputting gas and comprising a valve for regulating the flow of gas through the first port, said valve being moveable between open and closed positions, wherein in the open position said valve is openable towards a test atmosphere or surrounding air; (iii) a second port adapted for outputting and receiving gas and comprising a valve for regulating the flow of gas through the second port, said valve being moveable between open and closed positions; (iv) a piston plate in the chamber, said piston plate comprising one or more apertures for the uptake or inflow of gas into the chamber wherein one or more, or each, of the apertures include a valve that is movable between open and closed positions and is capable of regulating the uptake or inflow of gas; (b) a second pump comprising: (i) a chamber configured for containing a second volume of gas, wherein the first and second volumes of gas are different; (ii) a port adapted for receiving and outputting gas; and (iii) a motor for controlling the operation of the second pump; (c) a connecting structure operable to transmit the gas from the first pump into the second pump; and (d) one or more openings in the first pump or the second pump or the walls of the connecting structure or a combination of two or more thereof, said openings being capable of receiving a module for containing a cell culture medium or for monitoring conditions in the chamber or for gas sampling or for gas characterisation.

Simulated respiratory tract

There is disclosed a cell culture plate comprising at least two sequentially arranged wells and a channel adapted for fluid communication between the wells, wherein the channel is connected or coupled to a first pump via openings at each end of the channel, and wherein said first pump is operable to circulate fluid between the at least two wells. Devices and systems incorporating the cell culture plate and methods and uses employing same are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Neuchatel, Switzerland

Shoaib Majeed