Flow electroporation chamber and method

a flow electroporation chamber and flow chamber technology, applied in the field of flow electroporation chamber and method, can solve the problems of significant hemolysis of red blood cells following treatment, poor reproducibility of ihp concentrations incorporated in red blood cells, and commercially impractical procedures on a scale suitable for commercial use, so as to reduce the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and enhance the delivery of oxygen

US20050019311A1Inactive Publication Date: 2005-01-27HOLADAY JOHN W +4
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2005-01-27
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the encapsulation of substances and drugs into cells and platelets. The present invention is also related to the incorporation of thrombus dissolving drugs, such as tissue plasminogen activator and streptokinase into platelets using the apparatus described herein. The treated platelets can then be used to treat patients suffering from a thrombus blocking a blood vessel. The present invention is also related to a preparation of red blood cells that has a stable right shift of the oxygen dissociation curve.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for the encapsulation of biologically-active substances in various cell populations. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the encapsulation of allosteric effectors of hemoglobin in erythrocytes by electroporation to achieve therapeutically desirable changes in the physical characteristics of the intracellular hemoglobin. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the vascular system of an adult human being, blood has a volume of about 5 to 6 liters. Approximately one half of this volume is occupied by cells, including red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and blood platelets. Red blood cells comprise the majority of the cellular components of blood. Plasma, the liquid portion of blood, is approximately 90 percent water and 10 percent various solutes. These solutes include plasma proteins, organic metabolites and waste products, and inorganic compounds. Th...

Examples

first embodiment

the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 1, which schematically illustrates the structure of the continuous flow encapsulation apparatus of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, a volume of whole blood is admitted into the electroporation system 5 at input 11. The blood sample may optionally be drawn directly from a patient into the electroporation system 5 or the blood may be drawn at an earlier time and stored prior to introduction into the system 5. Valve 12 is opened to admit the sample into the system 5. Simultaneously, valve 25 is opened and pump 22 is engaged to admit an anti-coagulant from the anti-coagulant reservoir 27. A suitable anticoagulant is heparin, although other anticoagulants can be used. The preferred anticoagulant is ACD. Valves 15 and 36 are also opened and pump 40 is engaged. The admixture of anticoagulant and whole blood passes through a filter 18 and a pressure evaluation system 19 that monitors the flow through t...