Dual circuit, woven artificial capillary bundle for cell culture

• US 4,184,922 A
• Filed: 11/11/1977
• Issued: 01/22/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Government of the United States of America
• Original Assignee: Government of the United States of America
• Inventors: Frankel, David S., Knazek, Richard A., Gullino, Pietro M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Raymond N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/850,810
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 195/127
• US Class Current: 435/297.4
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/16 Microfluidic devices; Capillary tubes integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; microreactors B01J19/0093
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 25/10 Hollow fibers or tubes hollow fiber modules in general B01D63/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/10 Perfusion
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/16 Hollow fibers hollow fiber modules in general B01D63/02

Abstract

An artificial capillary cell culture device having two separate perfusion circuits, and with the ultrafiltration fibers of the two circuits being woven into a single bundle, is disclosed. The present device provides a matrix for high density growth of cultured cells in a continuous perfusion system. The device is particularly well adapted for the use of pressure differences between perfusion circuits, such as in the simulation of lymphatic drainage.

Claims

1. A cell culture unit for the formation and maintenance of solid tissues and cells in vitro, comprising:

(a) shell means having spaced end portions and defining an elongated chamber therebetween;

(b) an endpiece attached to each end of said shell means, each endpiece terminating at its outer end in a plurality of tubular header members;

(c) capillary means within said chamber, said capillary means including a plurality of individual capillaries having walls which are permeable to nutrients required for cell growth or maintenance and/or cell products and being arranged with individual capillaries extending in a predetermined reproducible interwoven relationship with respect to each other, said capillaries dividing the chamber by the walls of the capillaries into an intracapillary space within the capillaries and an extracapillary space outside the capillaries, the intracapillary space and the extracapillary space communicating with each other only through the walls of the capillaries, a first portion of said capillaries extending through a first header at each end of the shell means and a second portion of said capillaries extending through a second header at each end of the shell means, each portion being woven with the other such that capillaries from the separate portions are in intimate contact in a regular pattern;

(d) means communicating with the intracapillary space of said first portion of said capillaries for passing perfusate therethrough;

(e) means communicating with the intracapillary space of said second portion of said capillaries for passing perfusate therethrough; and

(f) means communicating with said extracapillary space for seeding cells and/or retrieving cells or cell products therefrom.

2. In a cell culture unit for the formation and maintenance of solid tissues and cells in vitro including shell means having spaced end portions and defining an elongated chamber therebetween, a multiplicity of individual capillaries extending within said chamber from one end to the other and dividing the chamber by the walls of the capillaries into an intracapillary space within the capillaries and an extracapillary space outside the capillaries, the walls of the capillaries being permeable to nutrients required for cell growth or maintenance and/or cell products and the intracapillary space and the extracapillary space communicating with each other only through the walls of the capillaries, means communicating with the intracapillary space for passing perfusate therethrough, and means communicating with the extracapillary space for seeding of cells and/or retrieving cells or cell products therefrom, the improvement which comprises said capillaries being interwoven with respect to each other between the end portions of said chamber in a predetermined regular reproducible pattern such that the capillaries are in intimate contact with each other.