Differential Pressure Pump System
AssigneeClemson University
InventorDavid E. Orr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a fluid pumping mechanism that uses differential pressure to drive flow through one or more culture chambers. Fluid contained within a first chamber can be caused to flow through one or more culture chambers and thence to a second chamber upon establishment of a pressure differential between the two chambers. The differential pressure system can induce either steady state or pulsatile flow through a culture chamber. In one embodiment, a culture chamber can be held at a high or low pressure hydrostatic state through utilization of the disclosed systems.
Claims20
A biological culture system comprising:
- a first pressure chamber;
- a first culture chamber located downstream of the first pressure chamber and in fluid communication with the first pressure chamber;
- a fluid receptacle located downstream of the first culture chamber and in fluid communication with the first culture chamber;
- and
- a differential pressure control system, wherein fluid flow from the first pressure chamber to the first culture chamber and to the fluid receptacle is controlled via a differential pressure gradient established between the first pressure chamber and the fluid receptacle.
A process for culturing a biological sample comprising:
- locating a biological sample in a first culture chamber, wherein said first culture chamber is downstream and in fluid communication with a first pressure chamber and said first culture chamber is upstream of a fluid receptacle;
- establishing a differential pressure gradient between the first pressure chamber and the fluid receptacle;
- and
- initiating fluid flow from the first pressure chamber to the first culture chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.