Circulation system
Inventors
Marx, Uwe • Lindner, Gerd • Horland, Reyk • Hoffmann, Silke • Lauster, Roland
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9506024-B2
Publication Date
2016-11-29
Expiration Date
Abstract
A self-contained circulation system, which supports the formation of capillaries in capillary growth sections and allows the formation of micro organoids and/or micro tissue sections for monitoring the effect of one or more test compounds and determining efficacy, side-effects, biosafety, metabolites, mode of action or organ regeneration as well as methods of establishing such micro organoids and/or micro tissue in the self-contained circulation system.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a self-contained fluid circulation system that supports capillary formation within a capillary growth section. The system includes a capillary growth chamber enclosing at least one capillary growth section, with micro inlets and micro outlets that provide and remove fluid from the capillary growth section. A tissue culture space is oriented between the micro inlets and micro outlets, and a neovascularization region is positioned adjacent to the tissue culture space remote from the micro inlets and micro outlets.
Directional fluid pumping and a circulation loop are used to pass fluid through the capillary growth section so that capillaries form within a biocompatible matrix. A directional fluid pumping device with an inlet and an outlet is connected to an arteriolar transport channel and a venular transport channel. The arteriolar transport channel connects the directional pumping device output to the micro inlets, and the venular transport channel connects the directional pumping device inlet to the micro outlets, forming a fluid circulation loop.
The capillary growth section includes a biocompatible matrix that forms a growth scaffold oriented within the capillary growth section. Fluid passes from the micro inlets through the biocompatible matrix and out through the micro outlets in order to form capillaries within the biocompatible matrix. The neovascularization region has a distance from at least 100 μm and up to 500 μm from the micro inlets and/or micro outlets to impair the growth of capillaries.
Claims Coverage
The document contains one independent claim defining a self-contained fluid circulation system with a capillary growth chamber, directional pumping, arteriolar/venular transport channels, and a growth scaffold in a remote neovascularization region. Dependent claims refine structural and functional aspects, including quantitative distance constraints, matrix form options, transport-channel properties, and endothelial-cell seeding/incubation endpoints.
Self-contained fluid circulation system with capillary growth chamber and remote neovascularization region
A capillary growth chamber enclosing at least one capillary growth section, the capillary growth chamber having at least two micro inlets and at least two micro outlets providing and removing fluid from the capillary growth section; a tissue culture space oriented between the micro inlets and micro outlets; and a neovascularization region adjacent to the tissue culture space remote from the micro inlets and micro outlets.
Directional pumping and arteriolar/venular transport channels forming a circulation loop
A directional fluid pumping device having an inlet and an outlet; an arteriolar transport channel connecting the directional fluid pumping device output and the at least two micro inlets; and a venular transport channel connecting the directional fluid pumping device inlet and the at least two micro outlets to form a fluid circulation loop.
Biocompatible matrix growth scaffold to form capillaries from micro inlet to micro outlet
A biocompatible matrix which forms a growth scaffold oriented within the at least one capillary growth section of the capillary growth chamber, wherein the fluid in the circulation system passes from the micro inlets through the biocompatible matrix in the capillary growth section and out through the micro outlets in order to form capillaries within biocompatible matrix.
Distance-limited impairment of capillary growth in the neovascularization region
The neovascularization region has a distance from at least 100 μm and up to 500 μm from the micro inlets and/or micro outlets to impair the growth of capillaries.
Overall, the independent claim requires a self-contained circulation loop that directs fluid through an oriented biocompatible matrix growth scaffold in a capillary growth chamber, while locating a neovascularization region at a defined distance to impair capillary growth.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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