Method and device for closed system culture of cartilage tissue
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsVandana Keskar, Weston Blaine Griffin, Xiaohua Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present approach relates to the design and use of a functionally closed bioreactor designed to immobilize, culture, and mature tissue on a loading platform. The bioreactor may be equipped with sensors for tissue monitoring which in conjunction with stiffness data can provide closed-loop control of tissue maturation. Based on a relationship between cartilage stiffness and tissue maturity, measurements of stiffness can be acquired and used as a surrogate for cartilage maturity without the need for destructive tests.
Claims22
A bioreactor system, comprising:
- a sample support table configured to hold one or more flexible vessels each containing one or more tissue samples;
- a force measurement sensor positioned so that when a respective flexible vessel is positioned on the sample support table at a measurement location, the respective flexible vessel rests on the force measurement sensor;
- and
- an actuator configured to move along an axis to engage and disengage the respective flexible vessel when positioned at the measurement location such that, when engaged, the actuator generates a displacement and corresponding displacement data and the force measurement sensor measures the force and generates force data, wherein the data are used to generate a tissue stiffness measure.
A method for culturing a tissue sample, comprising:
- immobilizing a tissue sample on a tissue holder;
- positioning the immobilized tissue sample and tissue holder within a flexible vessel;
- adding culture medium to the flexible vessel and sealing the flexible vessel;
- positioning the flexible vessel on a table of a loading device;
- and
- operating a linear actuator to contact a first side of the flexible vessel so as to generate a changed force sensor reading on a second side of the flexible vessel opposite the first side.
A bioreactor system, comprising:
- a sample support table configured to hold one or more flexible vessels containing tissue samples;
- a first force measurement sensor positioned so that when a respective flexible vessel containing a tissue sample is positioned on the sample support table at a measurement location, the tissue sample is over the first force measurement sensor;
- a second force measurement sensor disposed about the first force measurement sensor in a plane of or parallel to the sample support table, wherein the first force measurement sensor and second force measurement sensor can move independent of one another in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the support table when in use;
- and
- a linear actuator configured to move along an axis in the first direction and to come into contact with and displace the respective flexible vessel when the tissue sample of the respective flexible vessel is positioned over the first force measurement sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.