Automated tissue engineering system

An automated tissue engineering system comprising;

• a housing;
• at least one bioreactor supported by said housing, said bioreactor facilitating physiological cellular functions and/ or the generation of one or more tissue constructs from cell and/or tissue sources;
• a fluid containment system supported by said housing and in fluid communication with said bioreactor,
• one or more sensors associated with one or more of said housing, bioreactor or fluid containment system for monitoring parameters related to said physiological cellular functions and/or generation of tissue constructs;
• and
• a microprocessor linked to one or more of said sensors.

An automated tissue engineering system comprising;

• a housing;
• at least one tissue engineering module removably accommodated within said housing, said tissue engineering module comprising a support structure that holds at least one bioreactor, said bioreactor facilitating at least one of cell culture and tissue engineering functions, a fluid containment system in fluid communication with said bioreactor, and one or more sensors for monitoring parameters related to at least one of said cell culture and tissue engineering functions;
• and
• a microprocessor disposed in said housing and linked to said tissue engineering module, said microprocessor controlling the operation of said tissue engineering module.

A portable and sterilizable tissue engineering module, the module comprising;

• a structural support holding at least one bioreactor, said bioreactor facilitating cell culture and tissue engineering functions;
• a fluid containment system in fluid communication with said bioreactor;
• and
• one or more sensors for monitoring parameters related to said cell culture and tissue engineering functions.

A bioreactor for facilitating and supporting cellular functions and/or the generation of tissue constructs, said bioreactor comprising;

• a bioreactor housing;
• one or more inlet ports and one or more outlet ports for media flow;
• at least one chamber defined within said bioreactor housing for facilitating and supporting cellular functions and/or the generation of one or more tissue constructs from cell and/ or tissue sources;
• and
• one or more sensors for monitoring parameters related to said cellular functions and/or generation of tissue constructs within said at least one chamber.

A method for the automated digestion of a tissue biopsy, the method comprising;

• loading a tissue biopsy within a bioreactor connected with a media reservoir and flow system, said bioreactor having one or more sensors to detect physiological conditions within said bioreactor for assessment by a microprocessor;
• providing tissue digestion enzymes within said bioreactor;
• and
• monitoring and maintaining digestion conditions within said bioreactor for a sufficient period of time for a desired level of tissue digestion.

An automated method for digesting a tissue biopsy to provide primary cells, including precursor cells, and further proliferating and differentiating the cells to enable the formation of a tissue implant, the method comprising;

• loading a tissue biopsy within a bioreactor connected with a media reservoir and flow system, said bioreactor having one or more sensors to detect physiological conditions within said bioreactor for assessment by a microprocessor;
• providing tissue digestion enzymes;
• monitoring and maintaining suitable digestion conditions within said bioreactor for a sufficient period of time to obtain disassociated cells;
• seeding the disassociated cells onto a proliferation substrate or scaffold supported within a bioreactor connected with a media reservoir and flow system, said bioreactor having one or, more sensors to detect physiological conditions within said bioreactor for assessment by a microprocessor,
• monitoring and maintaining suitable culturing conditions within said bioreactor for a sufficient period of time to obtain the desired level of cell proliferation and expansion;
• releasing the expanded cells from the proliferation substrate or scaffold;
• seeding the expanded cells onto a differentiation substrate or scaffold supported within a bioreactor connected with a media reservoir and flow system, said bioreactor having one or more sensors to detect physiological conditions within said bioreactor for assessment by a microprocessor, and
• monitoring and maintaining suitable culturing conditions within said bioreactor for a sufficient period of time to obtain a tissue implant.

A method for washing cells, said method comprising:

• loading a cell suspension containing one or more undesired chemicals into a chamber,
• continuously recirculating the cell suspension from the chamber through a cross-flow filtration module that comprises a membrane impermeable to said cells but permeable to said undesired chemicals to provide a washed cell suspension;
• and
• collecting the washed cell suspension.