Coiled Substrate Apparatus for Cultured Meat Bioreactors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrates for growing cultured meat face challenges in manufacturability, contamination risk, and inefficient use of bioreactor space due to permanent spacing elements that create touchpoints and variable layer spacing, limiting the surface area available for cell growth.
Innovation Solution
The development of elongated substrates wound into coiled configurations with removable separators and locking elements to maintain consistent spacing between layers, eliminating touchpoints and allowing for thinner substrates that maximize surface area within bioreactors, while reducing manufacturing costs and contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If permanent spacing elements are used to maintain substrate layer spacing, then structural stability is improved, but contamination risk increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes permanent spacing elements from the substrate structure, extracting the source of contamination risk while maintaining layer spacing through alternative means (substrate thickness control and winding geometry), thereby eliminating the harmful factor without sacrificing structural stability
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is divided into multiple layers with spacing controlled by individual layer thickness rather than continuous permanent spacers, segmenting the spacing function into discrete controllable parameters that reduce contamination points
2Reliability
If permanent spacing elements are used to maintain substrate layer spacing, then structural stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Permanent spacing elements are extracted from the design, simplifying the manufacturing process to involve only substrate winding and locking element attachment, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining structural stability through geometric control
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing function is merged into the substrate layers themselves through controlled thickness, eliminating the need for separate permanent spacer components and reducing overall device complexity
3Reliability
If thicker substrates are used to maintain layer spacing, then structural stability is improved, but surface area for cell growth decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate structure transitions from rigid thick panels to flexible thin layers that can be wound into coils, dynamically adapting the form factor to maximize surface area while maintaining structural integrity through the coiled geometry and locking elements
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is transformed from a two-dimensional flat structure to a three-dimensional coiled configuration, utilizing the radial dimension to maintain layer spacing while maximizing the available surface area for cell growth within the bioreactor volume
4Manufacturing precision
If removable separators are used to maintain intra-coil spacing, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Separators are applied preliminarily during the winding process to ensure precise intra-coil spacing, then removed afterward, allowing manufacturing precision to be achieved without permanent complex structures
Solution Approach 2:
Removable separators are used as temporary, disposable elements during manufacturing to achieve precise spacing, then discarded after serving their purpose, avoiding the need for permanent complex spacing mechanisms
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
This approach enhances manufacturability, reduces contamination risks, and improves bioreactor efficiency by maintaining consistent substrate spacing without permanent spacers, thereby increasing the available surface area for cell growth and optimizing bioreactor volume utilization.
Implementation Method 1
The removable separator is then removed via heat treatment, chemical treatment, or physical displacement-thereby leaving the intra-coil spacing between the coil layers
Implementation Method 2
The removable separator is then removed via heat treatment, chemical treatment, or physical displacement-thereby leaving the intra-coil spacing between the coil layers
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a substrate apparatus (and methods of manufacturing the same) with one or more substrates having a substrate spacing for growing a cell mass. In particular embodiments, the disclosed substrate apparatus includes a substrate wound into a coiled configuration with an intra-coil spacing between coil layers. To provide the intra-coil spacing, certain implementations use a separator. For example, a separator is applied to a substrate surface, and the separator-substrate combination is wound together (e.g., around a spool). In turn, a locking element is attached to the substrate to maintain the coiled configuration. The separator is then removed via heat treatment, chemical treatment, or physical displacement-thereby leaving the intra-coil spacing between the coil layers. Alternatively, no separator is used to provide a substrate spacing. For example, in lieu of a separator, the locking element is actively applied to the substrate during the winding process.