Apparatus for transportation of oxygen to implanted cells

• US 20100130916A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beta Cell Technologies Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Beta Cell Technologies Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Barkai, Uriel, Rotem, Avi, Stern, Yaki, Reingewirtz, Meir
• Granted Patent: US 8,043,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/022 Artificial gland structures using bioreactors hemodialysis A61M1/16; hemofiltration A61M1/34; other extracorporeal blood treatment A61M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen

Abstract

Apparatus is provided which includes a housing, configured for insertion into a body of a subject. The apparatus includes functional cells coupled to the housing and a source of oxygen configured to supply oxygen to the functional cells. The apparatus further includes an oxygen delivery interface configured to receive oxygen from the source of oxygen, and to facilitate passage of the oxygen to the functional cells, while the housing is disposed within the body of the subject. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a housing, configured for implantation in a body of a subject;

functional cells, coupled to the housing;

a source of oxygen configured to supply oxygen to the functional cells; and

an oxygen delivery interface at an outer surface of the housing, the oxygen delivery interface;

comprising at least in part a penetrable surface for receiving a needle therethrough, and

configured to receive oxygen from the source of oxygen, and to facilitate passage of the oxygen to the functional cells, while the housing is disposed within the body of the subject.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the functional cells comprise cells disposed in pancreatic islets.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source of oxygen comprises a plurality of gases.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source of oxygen comprises oxygen carriers preloaded with oxygen.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen delivery interface is reversibly couplable to the source of oxygen.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to provide oxygen-containing gas in a volume sufficient to sustain the functional cells for a period of between 12 hours and 2 weeks.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is shaped to provide a plurality of projections which project into tissue of the subject, the projections being configured to absorb oxygen from vasculature of the subject.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the functional cells are disposed in at least one layer of hydrogel configured to immunoisolate the cells from the body of the subject.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the housing is shaped to provide an oxygen reservoir layer, and wherein the functional cells are disposed in at least first and second layers of hydrogel, the first and second layers being disposed on either side of the oxygen reservoir layer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the oxygen reservoir layer has a longest dimension that is longer than a longest dimension of either of the first and second layers of the functional cells, and wherein the oxygen reservoir layer provides surface area for absorbing oxygen from surrounding vasculature of the subject.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the oxygen reservoir layer is shaped to provide a series of channels which facilitate directed transport of fluids within the oxygen reservoir layer.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the oxygen reservoir layer comprises at least one valve configured to facilitate directed transport of fluids within the oxygen reservoir layer.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the housing is configured to be implanted in a vicinity of a ribcage of the subject, and wherein the housing is configured to circulate the oxygen in the reservoir layer in response to movements of the housing responsively to movements of the ribcage of the subject.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the oxygen reservoir layer comprises a hydrogel shaped to define a channel configured to facilitate directed transport of oxygen within the reservoir layer.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the oxygen reservoir layer is disposed adiacently to the oxygen delivery interface and is couplable to and receives oxygen from the source of oxygen.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the oxygen reservoir layer comprises a gas.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the oxygen reservoir layer comprises oxygen carriers.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

during a first time, the interface is configured to facilitate;

coupling of the source of oxygen to the housing,

supplying of oxygen from the source of oxygen to the cells coupled to the housing, and

decoupling of the source of oxygen from the interface following the supplying of oxygen, and

at a second time, the interface is configured to facilitate;

coupling of the source of oxygen to the housing,

supplying of oxygen from the source of oxygen to the cells coupled to the housing, and

decoupling of the source of oxygen from the interface following the supplying of oxygen.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises the needle;

the needle is configured for transcutaneously penetrating the penetrable surface with the needle,

the housing is indirectly couplable to the source of oxygen via the needle, and

the needle facilitates supplying of oxygen to the cells from the source of oxygen.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the housing is shaped to define an upper surface, and wherein the penetrable surface comprises the upper surface of the housing.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the oxygen delivery interface comprises at least one oxygen-delivery port having an upper surface thereof and a tube coupled at a first end thereof to the port and at a second end thereof to the housing, and wherein the upper surface of the port comprises the penetrable surface that is penetrable by the needle.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the port is coupled to an upper surface of the housing.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the port is disposed remotely from the housing.

27. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is shaped to define an oxygen reservoir to store oxygen provided to the housing from the source of oxygen.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the oxygen reservoir is configured to store fluid at a pressure of at least 1 atm.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein a volume of the reservoir is between 100 ml and 300 ml.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the oxygen reservoir comprises a gas.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the oxygen reservoir comprises oxygen carriers configured to absorb excess oxygen disposed in the oxygen reservoir.

32. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a gas-permeable membrane disposed between the reservoir and the functional cells.

42. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the apparatus comprises the needle,

the needle is couplable to the source of oxygen and is configured for transcutaneous penetration of the penetrable surface,

the needle comprises at least a first chamber and a second chamber,

the first chamber is configured to facilitate delivery of oxygen from the source of oxygen to the functional cells coupled to the housing, and

the second chamber is configured to facilitate passage of fluid from within the housing to outside the body of the subject.

43. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the second chamber is configured to facilitate passive passage of the fluid from within the housing, in conjunction with the supplying of oxygen to the housing by the first chamber.

16. (canceled)

25-26. -26. (canceled)

33-41. -41. (canceled)

44-82. -82. (canceled)