Cost-Effective Tissue Perfusion Bioreactor
Format
SOECS Senior Project Demonstration
Faculty Mentor Name
Huihui Xu
Faculty Mentor Department
Bioengineering
Abstract/Artist Statement
There is a need to develop a cost effective bioreactor. Growing tissue in vitro is a scientific process that is of rapid growing interests in the research community due to its clinical and educational potential. However, most commercially available bioreactors are too expensive, typically in the range of tens of thousands of dollars. Such high cost of technology inhibits the progress of the tissue engineering field. Therefore, we attempt to remedy this issue by creating a cost effective tissue perfusion bioreactor that can maintain homeostatic cell conditions (37o C, 5 % CO2) and provide a physical stimulus. A convenient housing for a cell scaffold is constructed with a dual, incubator and culture, chamber design. The culture chamber is connected via tubing to a peristaltic pump, which flows cell-specific media inducing a physical shear stress on the culture. Temperature and carbon dioxide levels are regulated by incorporating temperature and carbon dioxide feedback control systems. With appropriate transducers, the temperature and carbon dioxide levels within the culture environment is measured and these signals are sent to a microcontroller. The microcontroller then sends out control signals to regulate these vital conditions by turning on an external heater adhered to the incubator chamber and / or opening a valve to a carbon dioxide cartridge leading into a media reservoir. Once the culture environment returns to the homeostatic conditions, the microcontroller turns off the heater and / or closes the valve accordingly. Here, we demonstrate a method of cost effective regulation of conditions necessary for cell proliferation, with pulsatile perfusion. This can be further developed to a complete tissue culture system with the addition of a cell source. The cost-effective nature and simple assembly make the proposed design useful for educational or even clinical purposes. The long term goal of this project is to further propel the growth of the tissue engineering field and result in clinical applications that could ultimately save lives.
Location
School of Engineering & Computer Science
Start Date
5-5-2018 3:30 PM
End Date
5-5-2018 4:30 PM
Cost-Effective Tissue Perfusion Bioreactor
School of Engineering & Computer Science
There is a need to develop a cost effective bioreactor. Growing tissue in vitro is a scientific process that is of rapid growing interests in the research community due to its clinical and educational potential. However, most commercially available bioreactors are too expensive, typically in the range of tens of thousands of dollars. Such high cost of technology inhibits the progress of the tissue engineering field. Therefore, we attempt to remedy this issue by creating a cost effective tissue perfusion bioreactor that can maintain homeostatic cell conditions (37o C, 5 % CO2) and provide a physical stimulus. A convenient housing for a cell scaffold is constructed with a dual, incubator and culture, chamber design. The culture chamber is connected via tubing to a peristaltic pump, which flows cell-specific media inducing a physical shear stress on the culture. Temperature and carbon dioxide levels are regulated by incorporating temperature and carbon dioxide feedback control systems. With appropriate transducers, the temperature and carbon dioxide levels within the culture environment is measured and these signals are sent to a microcontroller. The microcontroller then sends out control signals to regulate these vital conditions by turning on an external heater adhered to the incubator chamber and / or opening a valve to a carbon dioxide cartridge leading into a media reservoir. Once the culture environment returns to the homeostatic conditions, the microcontroller turns off the heater and / or closes the valve accordingly. Here, we demonstrate a method of cost effective regulation of conditions necessary for cell proliferation, with pulsatile perfusion. This can be further developed to a complete tissue culture system with the addition of a cell source. The cost-effective nature and simple assembly make the proposed design useful for educational or even clinical purposes. The long term goal of this project is to further propel the growth of the tissue engineering field and result in clinical applications that could ultimately save lives.