Fig. 1

The use of 3D-tips to replace liquid in cell culture plates. a Assembly of the 3D-tip prototype. b Representative image of a 3D-tip. c A mesh barrier at the narrow end of the 3D- tip allowed rapid fluid flow in both directions. d Mesh barrier prevents small spheroids being aspirated into the pipette tip. Spheroids that are displaced during removal of the liquid are deposited back into the culture vessel. e Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a tip containing a mesh with 40-μm pores f SEM image of a mesh with 40-μm pores. g Step-by-step illustrative diagram describing the assembly of a 3D-tip