Cell seeding has a variety of applications in cardiorespiratory, urological, neurological, and gastrointestinal functions. Construction of a successful tissue-engineered tubular graft (TETG) through a porous polymer scaffold requires a high-density cell seeding process with uniform radial distribution. A TETG must have off-the-shelf availability for patients requiring acute treatment. Seeding tubular polymers with standard techniques such as static or dynamic culture is challenging because of the variable structures of the polymers, and the process usually takes several weeks to achieve full-thickness cellular content.
Description
This is a new device that seeds cells in a tissue-engineered biodegradable tubular graft. The device is used for cell or particle seeding onto tubular scaffolds or synthetic vascular grafts and allows porous tubular scaffolds to be optimally bulk- and surface-seeded within minutes. Using the synergistic actions of vacuum, centrifugal forces, and flow, enables fast, controllable, and uniform bulk or surface seeding in porous tubular scaffolds. The resulting cell-seeded scaffolds are shelf-stable and ready to be used as needed, providing quick, personalized treatment for patients. In addition, the walls of these tissue-engineered vascular bypass scaffolds will not thicken over time as in traditional venous bypass graft surgery.
Applications
· Tissue engineering of tubular tissues such as the esophagus, trachea, bowel, or colon
· Nerve guides
· Vascular bypass in heart and lower extremities
· Diabetic access graft for dialysis
Advantages
· Seeding is completed within minutes, a significant improvement over traditional seeding methods, which take several days
· Spatially uniform distribution of cells
· High cell seeding yield with minimal cell waste
· Not limited by cell type or scaffold material
· Personalizable and reproducible
Invention Readiness
Animal studies conducted
IP Status
Research Tool
