US Patent 11124763 Systems and methods for growing cell cultures

Systems and methods for culturing cells are disclosed. A system can comprise an auxetic scaffold substrate. The substrate can comprise scaffold units at least a portion of which comprise living cells. Scaffold units can be configured to transition between a contracted state and an expanded state. Units can comprise an interior void having a contracted volume in the contracted state and an expanded volume in the expanded state, in which the expanded volume is greater than the contracted volume. Units can be configured to pass a fluid into the interior void of the corresponding unit when the unit transitions from the contracted state to the expanded state. Units can be configured to pass the fluid out of the interior void of the corresponding unit when the unit transitions from the expanded state to the contracted state.