Granted Patent B2

US 12,545,873 · App. 17/732,239 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Inventors: Kevin Daniel Roehm (Huntsville, AL); Carrie Lynn German (Huntsville, AL); Balabhaskar Prabhakarpandian (Madison, AL); Wesley David Grove (Huntsville, AL)

Assignee: CFD RESEARCH CORPORATION

C12M21/08C12M23/30C12N5/0018C12N5/0062C12N5/0068C12M23/40C12M27/18C12N2533/90

Abstract

Claims (62)

1 . A tissue culture device comprising:

a body defining a tissue culture chamber having a primary chamber cavity, an inlet cavity, and an outlet cavity;

at least one inlet port through the body into the inlet cavity of the tissue culture chamber;

an inlet port member located in each inlet port, each inlet port member including an inlet tube extending into the inlet cavity;

at least one outlet port through the body into the outlet cavity of the tissue culture chamber;

an outlet port member located in each outlet port, each outlet port member including an outlet tube extending into the outlet cavity; and

an optical cover coupled with the body to define a wall of the primary chamber cavity of the tissue culture chamber, wherein the optical cover is optically transmissive.

2 . The tissue culture device of claim 1 , wherein the body includes an inlet shoulder containing the inlet cavity, an outlet shoulder containing the outlet cavity, each inlet port is through the inlet shoulder, and each outlet port is through the outlet shoulder.

3 . The tissue culture device of claim 1 , wherein the optical cover is shaped as a lid that is removably couplable with the body.

4 . The tissue culture device of claim 3 , wherein the lid is threadedly coupled with the body.

5 . The tissue culture device of claim 3 , wherein the lid includes a viewing recess having a bottom wall being optically transmissive into the tissue culture chamber.

6 . The tissue culture device of claim 1 , further comprising a hydrogel in the tissue culture chamber, inlet cavity, and outlet cavity, so as to be around the inlet tube and outlet tube.

7 . The tissue culture device of claim 6 , wherein the inlet cavity is configured to constrain the hydrogel around the inlet tube and the outlet cavity is configured to constrain the hydrogel around the outlet tube.

8 . The tissue culture device of claim 7 , further comprising a fluid tight seal at an interface of the hydrogel and the inlet tube and a fluid tight seal at an interface of the hydrogel and the outlet tube.

9 . The tissue culture device of claim 6 , further comprising at least one lumen in the hydrogel fluidly coupling the inlet tube and the outlet tube.

10 . A bioreactor comprising:

a body defining a tissue culture chamber;

at least one inlet port through the body into the tissue culture chamber;

an inlet port member located in each inlet port, each inlet port member including an inlet tube extending into the tissue culture chamber;

at least one outlet port through the body into the tissue culture chamber;

an outlet port member located in each outlet port, each outlet port member including an outlet tube extending into the tissue culture chamber;

an optical cover coupled with the body to define a wall of the primary chamber cavity of the tissue culture chamber, wherein the optical cover is optically transmissive; and

a hydrogel in the tissue culture chamber having at least one lumen fluidly coupling the inlet tube to the outlet tube, wherein an inlet interface region of the hydrogel is constrained around the inlet tube and an outlet interface region of the hydrogel is constrained around the outlet tube.

11 . The bioreactor of claim 10 , wherein the tissue culture chamber has a primary chamber cavity, an inlet cavity, and an outlet cavity, and:

each inlet port is through the body into the inlet cavity of the tissue culture chamber;

each inlet port member includes the inlet tube extending into the inlet cavity;

each outlet port is through the body into the outlet cavity of the tissue culture chamber; and

each outlet port member includes the outlet tube extending into the outlet cavity.

12 . The bioreactor of claim 11 , wherein the body includes an inlet shoulder containing the inlet cavity, an outlet shoulder containing the outlet cavity, each inlet port is through the inlet shoulder, and each outlet port is through the outlet shoulder.

13 . The bioreactor of claim 12 , wherein the optical cover is shaped as a lid that is removably couplable with the body, and wherein the lid includes a viewing recess having a bottom wall being optically transmissive into the tissue culture chamber.

14 . The bioreactor of claim 10 , further comprising a fluid tight seal at an interface of the hydrogel and the inlet tube and a fluid tight seal at an interface of the hydrogel and the outlet tube.

15 . The bioreactor of claim 10 , further comprising cells in the hydrogel.

16 . The bioreactor of claim 10 , further comprising vascular endothelial cells on lumen walls of the lumen.

17 . The bioreactor of claim 16 , further comprising tissue cells in the hydrogel.

18 . The bioreactor of claim 15 , wherein the cells are stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelet cells, epithelial cells, nerve cells, muscle cells, cartilage cells, bone cells, connective tissue cells, skin cells, endothelial cells, fat cells, sex cells, organ cells, or combinations thereof.

19 . The bioreactor of claim 18 , wherein the at least one lumen is configured in diameter and spacing based on an organ, such that oxygen and/or nutrients diffuse from media in the at least one lumen to the cells in the organ in the hydrogel.

20 . The bioreactor of claim 10 , wherein the at least one lumen includes a sacrificial material therein.

21 . A bioreactor system comprising:

the bioreactor of claim 10 ; and

an imaging system having at least one camera optically coupled with the tissue culture chamber.

22 . A bioreactor system comprising:

the bioreactor of claim 10 ; and

a pressure system fluidly coupled with the inlet tube and/or outlet tube.

23 . The bioreactor system of claim 22 , further comprising a media system comprising a media for flowing through the at least one lumen.

24 . The bioreactor system of claim 23 , further comprising a collection system configured for receiving output media from the outlet tube.

25 . A bioreactor system comprising:

the tissue culture device of claim 10 ; and

an analytical system configured to analyze output samples from the outlet tube.

26 . A method of manufacturing a bioreactor comprising:

providing the tissue culture device of claim 1 ;

forming a hydrogel in the tissue culture chamber that has at least one lumen fluidly coupling the inlet tube to the outlet tube of the tissue culture device, wherein an inlet interface region of the hydrogel is constrained around the inlet tube and an outlet interface region of the hydrogel is constrained around the outlet tube.

27 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

forming a sacrificial material in the hydrogel in the shape of the at least one lumen; and

removing the sacrificial material from the hydrogel to result in the at least one lumen being fluidly coupled with the inlet tube and outlet tube.

28 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:

printing the sacrificial material on a portion of the hydrogel; and

forming the hydrogel with the sacrificial material therein.

29 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

determining a type of tissue for a tissue construct;

obtaining a design for the at least one lumen in the hydrogel for the tissue construct based on the type of tissue; and

forming the hydrogel to include the design for the at least one lumen in the hydrogel.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the design includes a diameter of each lumen and spacing between a plurality of the lumen.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (49)