SMARTCONFINEMENT®
6-well static cell confiner for controlled cell confinement – CSOW 620
The CSOW 620 is a 6-well static cell confinement device designed to impose defined spatial constraints on cultured cells. Using microfabricated PDMS pillars on glass confinement slides, the system controls the vertical space available to cells, enabling the investigation of cell mechanics, nuclear deformation, cell division and migration under confinement.
The manually operated system requires no external vacuum pump and allows multiple experimental conditions to be studied within a single 6-well plate. Its design supports live-cell imaging and cell recovery for downstream analysis.
WHY USE THE CSOW 620 STATIC CELL CONFINER?
Defined confinement height
Control the vertical space available to cultured cells using glass slides with PDMS micropillars of predefined height.
Six experimental conditions in parallel
Compare different cell types, confinement heights or control conditions across six wells within a single experiment.
Live-cell imaging and downstream analysis
Observe cellular responses using compatible microscopy setups, then release confinement to recover cells for further analysis.
HOW DOES THE 6-WELL STATIC CELL CONFINER WORK?
The CSOW 620 confines cells between their culture substrate and a glass slide carrying microfabricated PDMS pillars. The pillar height determines the vertical confinement gap.
The system uses a mechanical locking mechanism to position the confinement slides over the cells, without requiring a vacuum pump.
1. Prepare the cell culture
Seed cells in a compatible 6-well plate and allow them to adhere or stabilize according to the experimental protocol.
2. Assemble the confinement system
Attach the confinement slides to the PDMS pistons and install them in the CSOW 620. Equilibrate the PDMS components in culture medium as specified in the user guide.
3. Apply static confinement
Position the device over the culture plate and engage the mechanical locking mechanism to apply the predefined confinement height.
4. Observe and release
Monitor cellular responses under confinement. At the end of the experiment, unlock the device to release confinement and recover cells when required.
CSOW 620 static cell confiner demonstration
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications | CSOW 620 |
|---|---|
Product reference | CSOW 620 |
Device type | Static mechanical cell confiner |
Culture format | 6-well cell culture plates |
Confinement mechanism | Glass slides with microfabricated PDMS pillars |
Available configurations | Up to three confinement heights per kit |
Confinement slide diameter | 16 mm |
Operation | Manual mechanical locking without an external vacuum pump |
Imaging | Compatible with optical microscopy using suitable culture plates and microscope setups |
Cell recovery | Confinement can be released to allow downstream analysis |
Customization | Specific confinement configurations available upon request |
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE CSOW 620 KIT?
The standard 6-well static cell confiner kit includes:
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1 × CSOW 620 static confinement device
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12 × confinement slides (16 mm diameter) with microfabricated PDMS pillars
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12 × PDMS confinement pistons
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Assembly accessories, as described in the user guide
Up to three different confinement heights can be selected for the kit.
Optional surface treatments
Depending on the experimental design, confinement slides can be prepared with extracellular matrix proteins, such as fibronectin, or anti-adhesive treatments, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG).
Contact 4Dcell to discuss the appropriate configuration for your cell type and experimental requirements.
APPLICATIONS OF STATIC CELL CONFINEMENT IN MECHANOBIOLOGY
Cell and nuclear mechanics
Investigate how spatial confinement influences cell morphology, nuclear deformation and cellular responses to mechanical constraints.
Cell division and mitotic entry
Study the relationship between mechanical confinement, nuclear tension and the regulation of cell division.
Cell migration under confinement
Investigate cell migration and morphological adaptation in spatially restricted environments.
Live-cell imaging and molecular analysis
Combine microscopy under defined confinement conditions with complementary cellular or biochemical assays after confinement release.
EXPERIMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
The selection of confinement height, cell culture substrate and surface treatment depends on the cell type and the biological question being investigated.
PDMS components should be equilibrated with the appropriate culture medium before use, following the CSOW 620 user guide.
PDMS can absorb certain small hydrophobic molecules. For experiments involving pharmacological compounds, this property should be considered when designing exposure conditions and interpreting results.
Plate compatibility, microscope clearance and cell recovery conditions should also be checked before starting an experiment.
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS USING THE CSOW 620
The 4Dcell six-well static confinement device has been used in published mechanobiology research investigating the relationship between mechanical constraints, nuclear tension and cell-cycle regulation.
Nuclear tension controls mitotic entry by regulating cyclin B1 nuclear translocation.
Dantas M. et al. (2022)
Journal of Cell Biology, 221(12), e202205051.
Dissecting the Mechanical Control of Mitotic Entry Using a Cell Confinement Setup.
Dantas M. et al. (2024)
Bio-protocol, 14(6), e4959.
The methodological protocol explicitly identifies the 4Dcell CSOW 620 among the equipment used for static cell confinement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
EXPLORE OTHER SMARTCONFINEMENT SYSTEMS
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A single-well dynamic confinement system designed for real-time control of cell confinement. Using a vacuum-controlled piston, it enables researchers to dynamically adjust confinement height and investigate cellular responses to changing mechanical constraints during live-cell imaging.