Piezoelectric sensor well plate for live cell culture
This technology is a method for making tiny vibrating sensors directly integrated into standard laboratory well plates used for growing cells. Using a specialized 3D printing process, piezoelectric chips (which generate electrical signals when they vibrate) are embedded into printed structures that sit inside cell culture dishes. The sensors measure changes in the density and viscosity of the liquid surrounding cells in real time, without disturbing the experiment. This lets researchers continuously monitor how cell cultures or miniature tissue models are developing, rather than taking manual samples at intervals.
What you could build
A drop-in, sensor-integrated well plate consumable that pharmaceutical and biotech labs use to monitor organ-on-a-chip and 3D tissue culture experiments in real time; primary buyers would be academic core facilities, contract research organizations, and pharma companies running drug-toxicity or tissue-engineering workflows.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia-based biotech CROs, university research hospitals (UVA, VCU medical), and defense-adjacent tissue-engineering programs at places like MITRE or DARPA-funded labs would have natural interest.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Blake N. Johnson, Manjot Singh
- Filed
- Patent pending — filed October 3, 2024
- Status
- Application
- Publication number
- US20250243447A1
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.