FIG. 1.

Fabrication of mesh sheet and cell culture. (A) Processes of mesh sheet fabrication by photolithography (i–iii), mesh sheet reinforcement and harvesting (iv–v), and a schematic of prepared mesh sheet showing the dimensions of cell culture area (vi, left) and mesh shapes and dimensions (vi, right). Mesh sheets with rhombus (short axis length, l=100∼200 μm) and triangular shapes (side length, l=100∼200 μm) were used. The width of mesh strand was w=3–5 μm. (B) Scanning electron microscope image of a fabricated triangular mesh. (C) A schematic showing how cell seeding and culture was performed on a mesh sheet suspended in a culture medium. (Left) Orthographic representation of mesh sheet setup during cell seeding, (right) a cross-sectional view of setup during cell culture. Spacers of height H=0.5–1 mm were used to suspend mesh sheets in the medium so as to prevent cells attached on mesh from interacting with the dish bottom.