AI-Driven Bioreactor for Long-Term Ex Vivo Human Tissue Perfusion and Research
This invention is an advanced bioreactor system that utilizes artificial intelligence to maintain and monitor the health of full-thickness human tissue ex vivo. It offers a significant breakthrough by extending the perfusion period to three weeks or more, providing a highly accurate human-relevant model for drug testing, disease modeling, and surgical research.
Description
The technology comprises a comprehensive bioreactor system integrated with an artificial intelligence (AI) module designed for the long-term maintenance of target tissues such as skin, tumors, or flaps. The system includes a media reservoir, a peristaltic pump for media transfer, a specialized perfusion chamber for tissue culture, and a suite of advanced sensors including thermal cameras and glucose/lactate monitors. These components are coupled through a sterile tubing network to facilitate continuous nutrient delivery and waste removal through the tissue's own vascular structure. The core innovation lies in the AI-driven processor, which generates periodic metabolic reports and automatically adjusts bioreactor operations, such as flow rates and temperature to extend tissue viability. By utilizing deep learning algorithms, the system can predict and mitigate potential failures like air bubbles or edema, ensuring a stable environment that preserves the complex anatomical and histological architecture of the tissue. This allows researchers to perform high-throughput studies and live imaging on human samples that represent diverse genetic backgrounds.Applications
- Drug Discovery and Toxicology: A high-throughput platform for testing the local toxicity and efficacy of new pharmaceuticals and mitigators.- Oncology Research: Ex vivo tumor models that preserve the human tumor microenvironment for studying tumorigenesis and immune cell infiltration.
- Cosmetic and Dermatological Testing: Analysis of skin responses to various stimuli, including radiation, vesicants, and topical treatments.
- Surgical Training and Planning: Use of perfused tissue flaps for practicing surgical transplantation and microvascular techniques.
- Precision Medicine: Testing patient-specific responses to therapies using their own derived tissue explants in a controlled environment.
Advantages
- Extended Viability: Maintains healthy tissue architecture and physiological responses for up to three weeks and beyond.- Human-Relevant Modeling: Eliminates anatomical variables by using full-thickness human skin from diverse populations, offering more accurate data than animal models.
- AI-Automated Protection: Features an AI module that monitors metabolic rates and automatically intervenes to minimize failure risks like infection or equipment error.
- Vascular Drug Delivery: Mimics natural drug delivery routes through cannulation of the tissue's vascular system, allowing for the testing of topical, local, or systemic applications.
- High-Fidelity Monitoring: Provides real-time tracking of tissue health through infrared thermal imaging and continuous metabolic data collection.