US 5,079,168 AGranted

Cell culture apparatus

AssigneeEndotronics, Inc.

InventorBruce P. Amiot

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A compact, easily assembled cell culturing device comprising at least one envelope, the interior of which defines a cell culturing space wherein the envelope is spirally wrapped about an elongated core and which provides for optimal gas delivery and removal to and from the cell culturing space which is also separate from nutrient media delivery and removal whereby greater amounts of oxygen are provided to the cells at a faster rate to produce cells and/or cell products more economically and in higher yields.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A cell culture device comprising:

(a) at least one envelope having first and second external surfaces each having first and second lateral and longitudinal edges wherein the envelope comprises a first membrane layer sealed to a second membrane layer along said first and second lateral and longitudinal edges, respectively, to define a cell culturing space therebetween, said first and second membrane layers being porous and substantially permeable to gases but substantially impermeable to cells and liquids;
(b) a first delivery means for delivering nutrient media to the cell culturing space;
(c) a second delivery means for delivering cells to the cell culturing space;
(d) a third delivery means for delivering a gas to the cell culturing space through said first and second membrane layers;
(e) an elongated core having a longitudinal axis, means sealing one of said lateral edges of one of said membrane layers to said core parallel to the axis of said core, said envelope being spirally wrapped about said core such that said longitudinal edges are disposed in two planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core;
(f) an adhesive means disposed along the entire length of both the longitudinal edges of the first external surface of the at least one envelope such that the longitudinal edges of the first external surface fixedly adhere to the core and then to the second external surface of said envelope, and spacer means between each layer of envelope whereby a spirally extending interenvelope gas space is created therebetween;
(g) a first removal means for removing liquid metabolic waste products from the cell culturing space;
(h) a second removal means for removing cells, cell products or cells and cell products from the cell culturing space;
(i) a third removal means for removing gaseous waste products from the cell culturing space through said first and second membrane layers;
(j) a first end header means disposed adjacent to a first end of the core and having inlet means in communication with at least one of the delivery means;
and
(k) a second end header means disposed adjacent to a second end of the core and having outlet means in communication with at least one of the removal means.

9 more elements

A cell culture device comprising:

(a) a first envelope and a second envelope having substantially equal dimensions, each of said envelopes comprising a first membrane layer and a second membrane layer, each of said membrane layers having first and second lateral and longitudinal edges, said first membrane layer being sealed to said second membrane layer along said first and second lateral and longitudinal edges, respectively, so as to define a cell culturing space therebetween, wherein said first membrane layer is a gas-permeable hydrophobic membrane layer and defines a first external surface of each of said envelopes, and wherein said second membrane layer is a semi-porous hydrophilic membrane layer, said first envelope being superimposed upon said second envelope such that said hydrophilic membrane layer of said first envelope faces said hydrophilic membrane layer of said second envelope and is bonded thereto along their first and second lateral edges thereof;
(b) a first delivery means for delivering nutrient media to the cell culturing space of said first envelope and said second envelope through said hydrophilic membrane layers;
(c) a second delivery means for delivering cells to the cell culturing space of said first envelope and said second envelope;
(d) a third delivery means for delivering a gas to the cell culturing space of said first envelope and said second envelope through said hydrophobic membrane layers;
(e) an elongated core having a longitudinal axis, means sealing one of said lateral edges of said first external surface of said first envelope to said core parallel to the axis of said core, said envelopes being spirally wrapped about said core such that said longitudinal edges are disposed in two planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core;
(f) an adhesive means disposed along the entire length of both the longitudinal edges of said first external surface of said first envelope such that the longitudinal edges of said first external surface of said first envelope fixedly adhere to the core and said first external surface of said second envelope, and spacer means positioned between said first external surface of said first envelope and said first external surface of said second envelope whereby a spirally extending inter-envelope gas space is created therebetween;
(g) a first removal means for removing liquid metabolic waste products from the cell culturing space of said first envelope and said second envelope through said hydrophilic membrane layers;
(h) a second removal means for removing cells, cell products or cells and cell products from the cell culturing space of said first envelope and said second envelope;
(i) a third removal means for removing gaseous waste products from the cell culturing space of said first envelope and said second envelope through said hydrophobic membrane layers;
(j) a first end header means disposed adjacent to a first end of the core and having inlet means in communication with at least one of the delivery means;
and
(k) a second end header means disposed adjacent to a second end of the core and having outlet means in communication with at least one of the removal means.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A cell culture device comprising:

(a) at least one envelope having first and second external surfaces each having first and second lateral and longitudinal edges wherein the envelope comprises a first membrane layer sealed to a second membrane layer along said first and second lateral and longitudinal edges, respectively, to define a cell culturing space therebetween, said first and second membrane layers being porous and substantially permeable to gases but substantially impermeable to cells and liquids;
(b) a first delivery means for delivering nutrient media to the cell culturing space;
(c) a second delivery means for delivering cells to the cell culturing space;
(d) a third delivery means for delivering a gas to the cell culturing space through said first and second membrane layers;
(e) an elongated core having a longitudinal axis, means sealing one of said lateral edges of one of said membrane layers to said core parallel to the axis of said core, said envelope being spirally wrapped about said core such that said longitudinal edges are disposed in two planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core;
(f) an adhesive means disposed along the entire length of both the longitudinal edges of the first external surface of the at least one envelope such that the longitudinal edges of the first external surface fixedly adhere to the core and then to the second external surface of said envelope, and spacer means between each layer of envelope whereby a spirally extending interenvelope gas space is created therebetween;
(g) a first removal means for removing liquid metabolic waste products from the cell culturing space;
(h) a second removal means for removing cells, cell products or cells and cell products from the cell culturing space;
(i) a third removal means for removing gaseous waste products from the cell culturing space through said first and second membrane layers;
(j) a first end header means disposed adjacent to a first end of the core and having inlet means in communication with at least one of the delivery means;
and
(k) a second end header means disposed adjacent to a second end of the core and having outlet means in communication with at least one of the removal means.

9 more elements