Device and method for collecting and processing fat tissue and procuring microvessel endothelial cells to produce endothelial cell product

A device for digesting and processing tissue to produce an endothelial cell product comprising:

• a single vessel comprising three chambers:
• a digestion chamber;
• a separate waste chamber;
• and a separate isolation chamber, said waste and isolation chambers in fluid communication with the digestion chamber, wherein the isolation chamber is selectively connected by a first valve to an ampule for receiving said endothelial cell product, and wherein the digestion chamber is selectively and alternately in fluid communication with the waste chamber and the isolation chamber,
• whereby the device allows the digestion of tissue by connecting the digestion chamber to the waste chamber, and processing of tissue by connecting the digestion chamber to the isolation chamber to produce endothelial cell product within said single vessel under sterile conditions.

A device for collecting and processing tissue to produce an endothelial cell product, comprising a vessel for rinsing, draining, digesting and isolating tissue the vessel comprising:

• a rinsing and digesting chamber in the vessel for collecting and processing tissue;
• an inlet connected to the rinsing and digesting chamber for receiving rinsing solution and also for receiving tissue from a liposuction means for withdrawing tissue from a subject;
• a waste chamber in fluid communication with the rinsing and digesting chamber, the waste chamber further comprising a connection for fluid communication with a vacuum source;
• a first screen separating the rinsing and digesting chamber from the waste chamber wherein waste fluid comprising rinsing solution flows from the rinsing and digesting chamber through the first screen to the waste chamber;
• an isolation chamber in fluid communication with and separated from the rinsing and digesting chamber by a second screen to allow cells from .rinsed, digested and processed tissue produced under sterile conditions to be isolated;
• an ampule connected to and in selective fluid communication with said isolation chamber;
• a pair of ports connected to the ampule, one of the ports providing a selective connection between the isolation chamber and the ampule and another of the ports providing selective communication between the ampule and an external environment;
• and
• valve means operatively associated with each of the ports to selectively control fluid communication between each of the ports, the ampule, the external environment and the isolation chamber,
• whereby endothelial cells disposed in the ampule are isolated by selective operation of the valve means.

A device for digesting and processing tissue to produce an endothelial cell product comprising:

• a single vessel comprising four chambers:
• (a) an enzyme storage chamber;
• (b) a separate waste chamber;
• (c) a separate digestion chamber alternately and selectively connected to the waste chamber and the enzyme chamber;
• and (d) a separate isolation chamber selectively connected to the digestion chamber, wherein the isolation chamber is selectively connected by a first valve to an ampule for receiving said endothelial cell product, whereby the device allows the digestion of tissue by connecting the digestion chamber to the enzyme storage chamber and the waste chamber and processing of tissue by connecting the digestion chamber to the isolation chamber to produce endothelial cell product within a single vessel under sterile conditions.