Table 1 Bench-top testing. Bench-top testing comparison for ease of use and performance between commercial and proposed chamber designs.

Ease of Use

• Straightforward assembly

• Retaining ring difficult to position

• Persistent leakage

• Difficult to envision in use in sterile environment

• Good for optical imaging

• Convenient connection to syringe pump

• Difficult assembly

• Stage adaptor fit both Zeiss and Leica scopes with ease

• Many parts, "over engineered"

• Tubing easily connected to syringe pump

• Bottom coverslip extremely fragile

• Difficult assembly

• Polymer gasket difficult to manage

• Chamber fits together well

• Difficult to seal chamber → leakage

• Tubing poorly sized and too stiff

• Relatively easy to assemble

• Vacuum grease needed to seal well but grease is never in contact with cells

• Ease of use diminishes under sterile conditions

Performance

• Issues with sealing

• 0.25–2 ml/min flow without leaking

• Leakage at higher flow rates

• Leakage between inlet and chamber body

• Major leakage unless extra spacer used

• Needed much silicon grease to insure sealing, but then no leakage up to >36 ml/min

• Numerous & persistent air bubbles and pockets formed inside chamber

• Major leakage problems

• Max flow ~1–12 ml/min

• No sealing possible without grease, contrary to instruction manual

• Significant bubble formation

• No leakage problems once cover slip sizing issue addressed

• Flow rates up to 60 ml/min

Major Strength

Straightforward assembly

Stage adaptor increases flexibility

Chamber fits together well

No leakage, No bubbles

Major Weakness

Leakage, no heating apparatus included

Leakage, bubbles

Leakage, bubbles

No heating apparatus included