Cell Expansion Vessel With Membrane Perfusion for High-Density Culture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell culture and expansion devices are bulky, limit cell density, and require separate washing steps to reduce impurities, which complicates the process and reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A cell culture vessel with a gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane and dual-function drain port facilitates high-density cell expansion through perfusion, allowing for filter-free media exchange and impurity removal without additional washing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If typical cell culture and expansion devices are used, then cell culture and expansion can be performed, but the devices are bulky and do not produce high density cell culture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane that is liquid impermeable but gas permeable, allowing the vessel to maintain a compact form factor while providing sufficient surface area for high-density cell culture. The membrane enables gas exchange necessary for cell survival without requiring large volumes of culture medium, thus achieving high cell density in a small device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane incorporates porous or microporous structures that allow selective passage of gases while blocking liquids and cells. This enables the vessel to maintain compact dimensions while providing adequate gas exchange surface area to support high-density cell cultures without requiring bulky construction.
2Quantity of substance
If typical cell culture and expansion devices are used, then cell culture can be performed, but separate washing steps are required to reduce impurities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the expansion and washing functions into a single integrated vessel. The flexible membrane structure allows the same device to perform both cell expansion culture and subsequent washing operations, eliminating the need for separate washing devices and reducing process complexity while effectively removing impurities.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell expansion vessel is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a culture vessel for cell expansion and as a washing vessel for impurity removal. The flexible membrane and port configuration enable the single device to perform multiple operations that traditionally required separate specialized equipment.
3Productivity
If perfusion is performed through the membrane, then nutrient supply and impurity removal are enhanced, but media exchange requires precise control
Solution Approach 1:
The perfusion system is designed to enable self-regulating media exchange through the flexible membrane. The membrane's selective permeability and the vessel's pressure equilibrium features allow media to be exchanged automatically based on pressure differentials, reducing the need for complex external control systems while maintaining efficient nutrient supply and waste removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes pneumatic principles through the gas-permeable flexible membrane to control media exchange. Gas pressure differentials created during perfusion automatically drive media through the membrane without requiring complex mechanical pumps or valves, simplifying the control of nutrient supply and impurity removal while maintaining high productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The vessel supports high cell density expansion in a compact format, enabling efficient nutrient supply and impurity reduction, reducing the need for separate washing devices and enhancing process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
oxygen dissolving into the cell culture medium
Implementation Method 2
allowing the cells to settle on the gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane by gravity
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes introducing a suspension including cells suspended in a cell culture medium through a feed port or a drain port into a cavity of a cell culture vessel, the suspension being in an amount sufficient to cover a gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane positioned at a bottom of the cell culture vessel, the feed port being disposed through a surface of the cell culture vessel and configured to permit additional cell culture medium into the cavity, and the drain port being disposed through the surface of the cell culture vessel and configured to permit removal of the cells, cell culture medium, and used cell culture medium from the cavity, allowing the cells to settle on the gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane by gravity, removing the used cell culture medium through the drain port and introducing the additional cell culture medium through the feed port such that a constant volume is maintained in the cell culture vessel until the cells expand to a desired cell density, wherein the removing and introducing are performed subsequent to allowing the cells to settle on the gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane, resuspending the cells in the cell culture medium in the cell culture vessel, wherein the resuspending is performed after the desired cell density is attained, and removing the resuspended cells and the cell culture medium through the drain port.