vitrocelltester

Vitrocell tester refers to a family of in vitro exposure systems produced by Vitrocell Systems. These devices are designed to expose living cell cultures at the air–liquid interface to aerosols, vapors, and smoke in a controlled laboratory environment. The aim is to simulate real-world inhalation exposures while allowing scientists to monitor and quantify cellular responses under standardized conditions.

How these systems work varies by model but commonly involves placing cells on permeable supports inside a sealed exposure chamber or module. An aerosol or smoke stream is delivered over or through the chamber at controlled flow, humidity, and temperature. The exposure is typically followed by immediate or downstream analysis of cell viability, inflammatory markers, gene expression, DNA damage, or other endpoints. Dosimetry and exposure characterization are integral, with methods to estimate the delivered dose to cells and ensure reproducibility across experiments.

Applications include tobacco and nicotine product research, e-cigarette and vaping studies, aerosol toxicology, and broader inhalation toxicology investigations. Researchers use Vitrocell testers to assess cytotoxicity, cytokine release, oxidative stress, and other cellular responses to various airborne contaminants and formulations. The systems are designed to be compatible with common cell culture formats and downstream analytical techniques, such as microscopy, ELISA, qPCR, and spectrophotometry.

In the scientific and regulatory context, Vitrocell testers support laboratory workflows that require controlled, repeatable in vitro exposures at the ALI, contributing to safety evaluation, product development, and toxicology research.