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Fabrication of living blood vessels and glandular tissues

  • US 4,546,500 A
  • Filed: 02/26/1982
  • Issued: 10/15/1985
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1981
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a method of producing, in vitro, a living multi-layered tubular structure, comprising:

  • a. producing a first tubular layer by;

    (1) forming a first aqueous mixture of collagen fibrils, nutrient medium and a first cellular contractile agent capable of interacting with collagen fibrils;

    (2) introducing said first mixture into an annular casting chamber;

    (3) maintaining the annular casting chamber containing said first mixture under conditions sufficient to allow a gel to form therein and to allow radial contraction of the gel with expression of aqueous liquid therefrom resulting from interaction of the cellular contractile agent with collagen fibrils to thereby form a contracted hydrated collagen lattice suitable as one layer of a multi-layered tubular structure; and

    (4) removing aqueous liquid expressed in the formation of said first tubular layer from the annular casting chamber;

    b. producing a second tubular layer outwardly of said first tubular layer by;

    (1) forming a second aqueous mixture of collagen fibrils, nutrient medium and a second cellular contractile agent capable of interacting with collagen fibrils;

    (2) introducing said second mixture into the annular casting chamber;

    (3) maintaining the annular casting chamber containing said second mixture under conditions sufficient to allow a gel to form therein and to allow radial contraction of the gel with expression of aqueous liquid therefrom resulting from interaction of the cellular contractile agent with collagen fibrils to thereby form a contracted hydrated collagen lattice suitable as another layer of a multi-layered tubular structure; and

    c. removing said multi-layered tubular structure from the annular casting chamber;

    The improvement comprising adding a reinforcing sleeve of inert material to said living multi-layered tubular structure.

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