Baylor College of Medicine

Hepatix, Inc.

James H Kelly

Donn D Lobdell

Norman L Sussman

An organ support system and method adapted for use with a patient and designed to modify the blood from the patient includes a control system, a venous line coupled to an output of a patient, an arterial line coupled to an input of the patient, and a cell line inserted into a hollow fiber cartridge to form an organ assist device. Blood is passed through the organ assist device. A small flow is extracted from the extracapillary space to check the integrity of the organ assist device. With this closed loop arrangement, a proper fluid balance can be maintained for the patient without requiring any dialysate, and leaks from the cell line to the patient can be immediately detected and prevented from reaching the patient.

Organ support system

Permanent cell lines are provided which display liver-specific biological activity at a level effective to support a subject suffering from hepatic failure or insufficiency. The cells find use in treating various liver disorders. An example of the cell lines is HepG2/C3A deposited under ATCC No. CRL-10741. Methods for use of the cells in liver assist devices and methods for producing liver assist devices are also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

James H Kelly