Method and structure for growing living organic tissue
First Claim
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1. A structure for growing living organic tissue including:
- a scaffold on which cells of the tissue may be seeded and on which the tissue may be grown; and
a plurality of membrane capillaries, separate from the scaffold, each membrane capillary including a respective membrane wall defining an internal passageway for conveying a nutrient fluid, wherein the membrane walls are permeable to nutrients and oxygen and the plurality of membrane capillaries are interspersed through the scaffold along freely chosen paths such that the shape of the scaffold may be freely chosen with the plurality of membrane capillaries interspersed throughout the scaffold so as to enable the tissue to be grown throughout the scaffold.
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Abstract
A method and structure for growing living organic tissue in which a scaffold is provided on which cells of the tissue may be seeded and on which the tissue may be grown and a plurality of membrane capillaries are provided for conveying a nutrient fluid, the plurality of membrane capillaries being interspersed through the scaffold and having membranes which are permeable to nutrients and oxygen such that the tissue may be grown throughout the scaffold and whereby upon in vivo implantation a supporting nutrient tissue supply rapidly establishes.
26 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A structure for growing living organic tissue including:
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a scaffold on which cells of the tissue may be seeded and on which the tissue may be grown; and
a plurality of membrane capillaries, separate from the scaffold, each membrane capillary including a respective membrane wall defining an internal passageway for conveying a nutrient fluid, wherein the membrane walls are permeable to nutrients and oxygen and the plurality of membrane capillaries are interspersed through the scaffold along freely chosen paths such that the shape of the scaffold may be freely chosen with the plurality of membrane capillaries interspersed throughout the scaffold so as to enable the tissue to be grown throughout the scaffold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A tissue structure including:
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living organic tissue; and
a plurality of artificial membrane capillaries each membrane capillary including a respective membrane wall defining an internal passageway for conveying a nutrient fluid, wherein the membrane walls are permeable to nutrients and oxygen and the plurality of membrane capillaries are interspersed through the tissue along freely chosen paths such that the shape of the tissue may be freely chosen with the plurality of membrane capillaries interspersed throughout the tissue so as to support life of the tissue.
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25. A method of growing living organic tissue including:
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freely defining a volume of desired shape and size;
providing a plurality of membrane capillaries along freely chosable paths interspersed through the volume, each membrane capillary including a respective membrane wall which is permeable to nutrients and oxygen and which defines an internal passageway for conveying a nutrient fluid;
forming a scaffold in the volume around the plurality of membrane capillaries, the scaffold being suitable for seeding of tissue cells and tissue growth;
seeding cells of the tissue in the scaffold; and
providing a flow of nutrient fluid through the plurality of membrane capillaries. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification