Cornea Bioreactor with Endothelial Pressure Gradient
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for cornea storage before transplantation or ex vivo experimentation fail to maintain sterile, long-term storage with a pressure gradient on the endothelial side, circulation of preservation liquid on both sides, transparency for examination, and flattening of the cornea for LASER cutting, which accelerates cell death and limits storage duration.
Innovation Solution
A bioreactor device that immobilizes the cornea by pinching the sclera ciliary zone, allowing sterile circulation of preservation liquid with a pressure gradient on the endothelial side, maintaining transparency for inspection, and flattening the cornea without compromising sterility, enabling long-term storage and examination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If cornea is stored in simple glass or plastic bottles with no circulation system, then device complexity is reduced, but cornea survival time is limited and cells die accelerated
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device is segmented into two separate chambers: an endothelial chamber for storing the cornea and an external reservoir for storing preservation liquid. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each chamber's function while maintaining overall system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
A semi-permeable membrane acts as an intermediary between the endothelial chamber and external reservoir. This membrane enables selective exchange of substances (preservation liquid can pass through while corneal tissue remains contained), facilitating long-term storage without complex circulation systems
2Device complexity
If cornea is stored without pressure gradient maintenance, then device complexity is reduced, but corneal stroma becomes oedematous and transparency is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The semi-permeable membrane enables automatic osmotic balance between the endothelial chamber and external reservoir. The membrane selectively allows water and small molecules to pass while blocking larger molecules, automatically maintaining proper pressure and preventing edema without external pressure control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The composition of preservation liquid in the external reservoir is specifically formulated with appropriate osmolarity and pH to maintain corneal transparency through the semi-permeable membrane, preventing stromal edema without requiring active pressure regulation
3Reliability
If cornea is stored in non-transparent container, then sterility is maintained, but examination of cornea without opening device becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The endothelial chamber is constructed from transparent or translucent material that allows visual examination of the cornea through the container walls. This transparency maintains sterility while enabling non-invasive monitoring of corneal condition during storage
4Volume of stationary object
If cornea is stored in folded state, then storage space is optimized, but cell death is accelerated in fold zones
Solution Approach 1:
A support structure is provided within the endothelial chamber that counteracts gravity-induced folding of the cornea. The support maintains the cornea in a flattened, anatomically correct position, preventing fold formation and associated cell death while optimizing storage space utilization
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 device extends the survival time of corneas by maintaining quasi-physiological conditions, allowing for sterile storage and examination, facilitating LASER cutting, and enabling cell therapy, while maintaining the cornea's viability and transparency for extended periods.
Implementation Method 1
creating a pressure gradient between the two sides of the cornea with an overpressure on the endothelial side
Implementation Method 2
sterile circulation of preservation liquid on both sides of the cornea
Implementation Method 3
The preservation liquid in the device according to the invention is at a temperature ranging between 1 and 40° C.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for the storage of a corneal specimen has means for the reception and entrapment of a corneal specimen, connected to the means for the creation of a pressure gradient with overpressure on the endothelial side and to the preservation medium circulation means in the layouts that present the means for the reception and entrapment of the cornea specimen. The means for the reception and entrapment of the corneal specimen entrap the sclera ciliary zone surrounding the cornea in an airtight manner to delimit a separate endothelial chamber and epithelial chamber in which the preservation medium can circulate with an overpressure in the endothelial chamber; The intermediate component and the endothelial lid comprise inlet and outlet orifices for the preservation medium which are connected to the means for the circulation of the preservation medium and the creation of a pressure gradient between the endothelial chamber and the epithelial chamber with overpressure in the endothelial chamber.