| 20080274545 | Bioreactor Chamber Apparatus, and Method and System for Fabricating and Mechanically Stimulating Natural and Engineered Tissues - A bioreactor chamber assembly including a bioreactor chamber and an outer chamber assembly is provided. In one design, the bioreactor chamber includes an upper grip assembly having a plurality of struts extending downward terminating in upper grips, each strut terminating in an upper grip, and a lower grip assembly containing one or more sample compartments and a lower grip. A sample can be formed in situ via injection into a sleeve contained within the sample compartment, where the sleeve encloses the upper and lower grips and enables a construct to form attached to these grips. In a second design, a split mold is received in the bioreactor chamber, the split mold having a cavity for receiving the upper and lower grips. Tissue explants and engineered constructs can be held within these grips. Medium level in the sample compartment is controlled, and different lengths of samples can be accommodated in the sample compartment. The height of the upper grip is adjustable by raising or lowering an extension rod that passes through a dynamic seal to the environment outside the chamber. The bioreactor chamber sample compartment includes a window to permit visualization of the sample as well as light-mediated transformation of biomaterials within the sample compartment. The samples held by grips within these chambers can be subject to uniaxial mechanical stimulation. Medium is perfused around the samples, and medium may be sampled via access ports. | 11-06-2008 |
