Fig. 1

Design of the miniaturized, microfluidic, and optically accessible chamber. A Assembly parts with holes for inserts (1–5). A´ Top view of cultivation chamber with cross section of PDMS microwell platform. Microwell platform include (6.) media flow part and (7.) microwell part. The microfluidic inserts are anchored by a ring and four screws (8.). B-D Different PDMS microfluidics inside the culture chamber. E, E´ Real prototype of the miniaturized autonomous chamber with control of temperature and CO₂ concentration placed on a microscope table for continual observation. F Detailed image of the mounted microfluidic spheroid platform comprising a microfluidic insert, a silicon heating belt, a pt100 temperature sensor and a CO₂ sensor for precise control of the cultivation environment