A cell culture-based biocompatibility module for biomedical engineers

Abstract

The challenge of exposing biomedical engineering students to the broad array of core engineering and biology topics often makes it difficult to adequately address all relevant areas of the biomedical engineering field in the undergraduate curriculum. This paper will present a cellculture based biocompatibility module with laboratory and lecture components that can be easily integrated into an engineering or biomaterials course. This module was developed to introduce students to basic cell culturing techniques and to provide students with exposure to the issues related to the interaction between living and nonliving materials (ABET Bioengineering Program Criteria). The lecture component focuses on biocompatibility issues, including: the definition of biocompatibility, cellular response to implantation of a foreign material, and the types of biocompatibility tests recommended by the FDA. For the laboratory component, students are first introduced to basic cell culture techniques, including sterile technique, cell counting, and cell splitting. Next, students perform an in vitro cytotoxicity assay (direct contact) based on ISO-10993, gaining hands-on experience in biocompatibility testing. In its current form, the core unit consists of two hours of lecture and seven hours of cell culture lab spread over three weeks; however, this unit can be shortened or expanded depending on time available and the amount of supplementary topics introduced. A stand-alone cytotoxicity assay, for example, could be completed by students in one week. Examples of supplemental activities that can be incorporated into the unit are included below: • Expanded group and individual cell culturing: After students learn and practice sterile technique and cell culturing principles within small groups, each student is responsible to split and maintain their own cell line for a period of time. • Training videos: To reinforce proper cell culturing practices, groups of students generate training videos to demonstrate procedures such as good and bad pipetting practices, performing a cell split, or counting cells. • Standards: The use of the ISO-10993 cytotoxicity assay opens the door for instruction on the role of standards documents in defining accepted test procedures for medical device development, and introduces the topic of standards organizations as a whole. • Statistics: Statistical methods can be reinforced by involving students in the design of the experiments and requiring statistical analysis of quantifiable results of the cell culture experiments, such as image analysis of the size and shape of cells or cell counts. • Bioethics: The use of He La cells or other cell lines originating from traceable human donors affords an opportunity to discuss bioethics issues relating to biologic specimen collection. The self-contained biocompatibility module described in this paper provides biomedical engineering students with relevant cell culture experience and exposure to the interactions between living and non-living materials. A simple biocompatibility lecture-lab module can be incorporated into an existing class as a one or two week unit, or the length and depth of the unit can be expanded through the incorporation of optional supplemental activities. Assessment results from the past three years demonstrate that the module enables students to meet biocompatibility-related performance criterion, and student satisfaction is indicated by positive comments from student course evaluations. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.