Tissue culture chip

Inventors

Weinberger, Paul M. • Rueggeberg, Frederick A. • Mettenburg, Donald J. • Mobley, Tanner

Assignees

Augusta University • Augusta University Research Institute Inc

Abstract

A dual chamber bioreactor for producing complex, multilayer tissue, organs, organ parts, and skin replacements has been developed. The bioreactor is modular and incorporates a removable tissue culture cassette. By rotating the dual chamber bioreactor along the horizontal axis, different populations of cells with different growth requirements can be cultured on the different surfaces of the tissue culture cassette that are exposed to different media reservoirs. Culturing different populations of cells on different surfaces of the tissue culture cassette enables the production of multilayer tissue and organs. The tissue culture cassette can contain one or more discrete tissue culture sections.

Core Innovation

The invention is directed to a bioreactor comprising a first and second media reservoir whose cell culture surfaces face each other and whose openings align when the reservoirs are positioned facing one another. A tissue culture cassette is provided that comprises a first and second gasket, where the gaskets each include an opening that aligns when the gaskets are combined, and a cell culture matrix or scaffold is sandwiched between the gaskets and covers the aligned openings, forming an impermeable tissue culture cassette.

The tissue culture cassette is positioned between the first and second media reservoirs so that the covered gasket openings align with the openings in the cell culture surfaces of the media reservoirs to form an impermeable barrier between the first and second media reservoirs. The bioreactor further includes means for applying sufficient pressure on the media reservoirs to produce a seal between the media reservoirs and the tissue culture cassette to prevent media leakage out of the openings on the cell culture surfaces.

The described modular dual-chamber rotary bioreactor uses a removable tissue culture cassette to create a diffusion barrier between two media reservoirs by using aligned gaskets and a cell culture matrix or scaffold. Rotation is described as changing the air-liquid interface and shear while enabling different cell populations to be cultured on different cassette surfaces under different media conditions, with real-time monitoring provided through a receiver block having observation ports.

Claims Coverage

The provided claims include two independent claims, each focused on a dual-reservoir bioreactor architecture with aligned openings and an impermeable tissue culture cassette sealed between the reservoirs, with additional sealing and cassette construction structure.

Across the independent claims, the core claimed coverage is the combination of facing first and second media reservoirs with aligned openings on cell culture surfaces, a tissue culture cassette with aligned gaskets and a cell culture matrix or scaffold that forms an impermeable cassette, and placement and pressure/sealing so the aligned cassette openings and reservoir openings form an impermeable barrier while preventing media leakage.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications