Surface modification of closed plastic bags for adherent cell cultivation

¹ Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST Bienroder Weg 54 E, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany
² Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research HZI, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
³ Stadtisches Klinikum Braunschweig GmbH, Freisestr. 9/10, 38118 Braunschweig, Germany

^a e-mail: kristina.lachmann@ist.fraunhofer.de

Received: 22 November 2010
Revised: 18 March 2011
Accepted: 8 April 2011
Published online: 21 July 2011

Abstract

In modern medicine human mesenchymal stem cells are becoming increasingly important. However, a successful cultivation of this type of cells is only possible under very specific conditions. Of great importance, for instance, are the absence of contaminants such as foreign microbiological organisms, i.e., sterility, and the chemical functionalization of the ground on which the cells are grown. As cultivation of these cells makes high demands, a new procedure for cell cultivation has been developed in which closed plastic bags are used. For adherent cell growth chemical functional groups have to be introduced on the inner surface of the plastic bag. This can be achieved by a new, atmospheric-pressure plasma-based method presented in this paper. The method which was developed jointly by the Fraunhofer IST and the Helmholtz HZI can be implemented in automated equipment as is also shown in this contribution. Plasma process gases used include helium or helium-based gas mixtures (He + N₂ + H₂) and vapors of suitable film-forming agents or precursors such as APTMS, DACH, and TMOS in helium. The effect of plasma treatment is investigated by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy as well as surface tension determination based on contact angle measurements and XPS. Plasma treatment in nominally pure helium increases the surface tension of the polymer foil due to the presence of oxygen traces in the gas and oxygen diffusing through the gas-permeable foil, respectively, reacting with surface radical centers formed during contact with the discharge. Primary amino groups are obtained on the inner surface by treatment in mixtures with nitrogen and hydrogen albeit their amount is comparably small due to diffusion of oxygen through the gas-permeable bag, interfering with the plasma-amination process. Surface modifications introducing amino groups on the inner surface turned out to be most efficient in the promotion of cell growth.