A tour of the Stem Cell Research Center,
where cells go before surgery

It is different from the entrance

A clean area controls airborne dust and bacteria, protecting SVF from outside contamination while it is being isolated.

The entrance to the research center reads "Authorized Personnel Only." Only authorized staff may enter.

The differential pressure gauge above the door on the right shows the difference in air pressure (pressure differential) between the inside and outside of the clean area. Researchers check this reading regularly to confirm that the air in the clean area is kept within the normal range.

The violet light above the door on the left is an insect trap light. It stops insects at the entrance before they can get into the clean area. Sterility management across the whole clinic is described on the Sterile System page.

Even supplies do not simply walk in

A pass box is a transfer chamber used to bring items into the clean area. It removes dust from their surfaces with a strong air stream and sterilizes the surfaces with UV light.

Supplies needed in the lab are not carried in through the door. Items are placed in the pass box, where air is blown over them to remove surface dust and UV light sterilizes them; they are then taken out from the other side.

The two doors are also designed so that they cannot open at the same time, which minimizes mixing of the clean-area air with outside air.

The first step in isolating SVF

SVF is obtained by centrifuging the harvested adipose tissue so that the cells separate into layers by weight.

All five steps of the process are shown on the SVF Isolation Process page.

This work is done by hand, following protocol, by researchers with master's or doctoral degrees and more than 10 years of experience.

Answering "How many went in?" with a number

At SC301 Clinic, a cell counter measures the number and viability of the SVF cells actually injected in every surgery.

In published cases of SVF-assisted breast fat grafting, the number of cells per injection was about 68 to 99 million. It varies with the amount and condition of the harvested fat.

The values measured this way accumulate into graft retention data. Volume changes before and after surgery are checked separately with the 3D precision check of graft retention.

Where the cells stay

A CO₂ incubator keeps conditions similar to those inside the human body constant: a temperature of 37 ℃ and 5% carbon dioxide.

The CO₂ incubator is designed to prevent contamination with a copper-alloy interior (inCu saFe), an IR sensor and a SafeCell UV function.

A refrigerator that keeps a temperature record

Reagents and materials used in research are stored in a medical refrigerator that records its temperature continuously.

What sets it apart from an ordinary refrigerator is the record. The display shows the internal temperature at all times, and a printer on top prints out the temperature log so it is kept on file.

Each drawer holds a separate category of items.

Cell banking at −196 °C

SVF cell banking stores cells cryogenically in a liquid nitrogen (LN2) tank at −196 °C.

Isolated SVF can be stored at this temperature and taken out when it is needed.

In the storage procedure, SVF that has been purified without culture is mixed with a cryoprotectant (DMSO), frozen by lowering the temperature step by step, and then placed in the tank. The tank's temperature and nitrogen level are monitored in real time. When cells are taken out, they are thawed quickly, pass five quality control (QC) checks — appearance, viability, sterility, toxins and function — and have the cryoprotectant washed out before use.

Details of SVF cell banking are available in the Cell Banking guide.