Coating a bioreactor in a cell expansion system
AssigneeTerumo BCT, Inc.
InventorsNathan D. Frank, Brian J. Nankervis, Dennis J. Hlavinka, Thomas G. Dilorenzo
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Abstract
Embodiments described herein generally provide for the expansion of cells in a cell expansion system using an active promotion of a coating agent(s) to a cell growth surface in some embodiments. A coating agent may be applied to a surface, such as the cell growth surface of a hollow fiber in a bioreactor, by controlling the movement of a fluid in which a coating agent is suspended, by changing flow rates, by changing flow directions, by rotation of the bioreactor, and/or combinations thereof.
Claims18
A system for growing cells, the system comprising:
- a bioreactor comprising a hollow fiber membrane with a plurality of hollow fibers;
- a first pump;
- a second pump;
- a processor;
- and
- a memory including processor executable instructions that when executed by the processor perform the steps of:
- activating the first pump to introduce a first fluid into the bioreactor, and while introducing the first fluid into the bioreactor:
- activating the second pump to circulate a second fluid at a first flow rate through the bioreactor, wherein the second fluid comprises a reagent, wherein the first fluid promotes coating of the bioreactor with the reagent;
- while circulating the second fluid, maintaining the bioreactor in a first orientation for a first period of time to allow at least a first portion of the reagent to coat the bioreactor by ultrafiltration;
- and
- after the first period of time, changing the flow rate of the second pump to circulate the second fluid at a second flow rate slower than the first flow rate through the bioreactor for a second period of time to allow a second portion of the reagent to coat the bioreactor by ultrafiltration;
- stopping the first pump;
- and
- activating the second pump to circulate a third fluid through the bioreactor to remove a portion of the reagent not coated on the bioreactor.
A system for growing cells, the system comprising:
- a bioreactor comprising a hollow fiber membrane with a plurality of hollow fibers;
- a first pump;
- a second pump;
- processing circuitry configured to:
- activate the first pump to introduce a first fluid into the bioreactor;
- activate the second pump to circulate a second fluid at a first flow rate through the bioreactor, wherein the second fluid comprises a reagent, wherein the first fluid promotes coating of the bioreactor with the reagent;
- while circulating the second fluid, maintain the bioreactor in a first orientation for a first period of time to allow at least a first portion of the reagent to coat the bioreactor by ultrafiltration;
- after the first period of time, change the flow rate of the second pump to circulate the second fluid at a second flow rate slower than the first flow rate through the bioreactor for a second period of time to allow a second portion of the reagent to coat the bioreactor by ultrafiltration;
- stop the first pump;
- and
- activate the second pump to circulate a third fluid through the bioreactor to remove a portion of the reagent not coated on the bioreactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.