Sterile Cell Seeding System for Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vascular grafts, whether synthetic or biological, face issues with patency rates, require extensive surgery for homografts, and lack host cell infiltration for tissue maintenance, while existing seeding and culturing systems are cumbersome, expensive, and require specialized facilities.
Innovation Solution
A closed, sterile system for isolating and seeding cells onto a biocompatible scaffold using a filtration/elution technique and vacuum seeding, allowing for incubation, storage, shipping, and testing without the need for a specialized hood or clean room.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cells are seeded onto scaffolds using conventional methods in sterile hoods or clean rooms, then sterile isolation and seeding can be achieved, but the system becomes cumbersome, expensive to build and maintain, and time-consuming to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a sterile environment within a portable device using sterile barriers and controlled access mechanisms, eliminating the need for expensive clean room facilities while maintaining reliable sterile isolation of cells during seeding operations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the sterile environment requirement from the facility level and concentrates it into a self-contained portable device, allowing sterile cell seeding to be performed at the point of care without requiring dedicated sterile facilities
2Reliability
If homografts are used for vascular repair, then viable tissue can be obtained, but extensive surgery is required which is time-consuming, costly, and traumatic to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary preparation of tissue-engineered grafts with patient-specific cells before surgery, allowing the graft to be customized and ready in advance, thereby reducing actual surgical time and trauma while ensuring tissue viability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows for autologous cell harvesting and seeding where the patient's own cells are used to create the graft, eliminating the need for donor site surgery and reducing overall surgical burden while maintaining tissue compatibility and viability
3Strength
If fixed tissue grafts are used for vascular repair, then immediate structural support is provided, but host cell infiltration is prevented which is essential for remodeling and tissue maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous scaffold structures that provide immediate structural support while allowing host cell infiltration through the porous network, enabling both mechanical strength and biological integration to occur simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite tissue-engineered grafts combining synthetic or natural scaffold materials with living patient cells, resulting in a hybrid structure that provides both immediate structural integrity and long-term biological adaptability through host cell infiltration and remodeling
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 system enables convenient, cost-effective, and rapid isolation and seeding of cells onto a scaffold, achieving a viable tissue engineered vascular graft that can be used for tissue regeneration or repair, reducing the need for expensive facilities and increasing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a flow channel between the cellular isolate container and the collection container, the flow channel comprising an inlet, an outlet and a filter therebetween
Implementation Method 2
removing the fluid from the seeding container by directing flow through the biocompatible three-dimensional scaffold and the perforated mandril into the residual seeded cell fluid container
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2
AI summary
Systems are provided for convenient and sterile isolation, collection, and seeding of cells onto a scaffold or tissue graft. The systems may be closed. Methods for use of the disclosed systems for isolation, collection and seeding of cells and generation of tissue engineered vascular grafts are also provided. The systems may be supplied in kits for efficient and expeditious use.