Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.

Aastrom Bioscience, Inc.

James Maluta

R Douglas Armstrong

David W Roecker

Bernhard O Palsson

An apparatus and related method are disclosed, for receiving, maintaining and growing biological cells ex vivo within a portable cassette, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The portable cassette is used in combination with a processor instrument that facilitates an initial inoculation of the cassette with cells of the kind to be grown and subsequently distributes those cells in a predetermined pattern (e.g., uniformly) throughout a cell growth chamber. Thereafter, the portable cassette is used in combination with an incubator instrument that incubates the cell growth chamber so that the cells are optimally expanded. The same processor instrument then is used to harvest the expanded cells from the portable cassette. Both instruments are configured to condition the portable cassette during stages of the cell growth process, without disturbing the cassette's sterile system. In addition, an updatable memory device associated with the cassette stores significant information about the cassette and its condition during the various steps of the cell growth process. Such information is useful both for subsequent archival purposes and for facilitating a resumption of the cell growth process in the event of any instrument failure or significant alarm condition.

Apparatus and method for maintaining and growth biological cells

A portable cassette is disclosed, for receiving, maintaining and growing biological cells ex vivo, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The portable cassette is used in combination with a succession of instruments, to inoculate the cassette's cell growth chamber with cells, to then incubate the chamber so that the cells are optimally expanded, and finally to harvest the expanded cells. Each instrument is configured to condition the portable cassette during a stage of the cell growth process, without disturbing the cassette's sterile system. In addition, an updatable memory device associated with the cassette stores significant information about the cassette and its condition during the various steps of the cell growth process. Such information is useful both for subsequent archival purposes and for facilitating a resumption of the cell growth process in the event of any instrument failure or significant alarm condition.

Portable cell growth cassette for use in maintaining and growing biological cells

A processor apparatus is disclosed, for conditioning a portable cassette as part of a process in which biological cells contained within a sterilizable cell growth chamber of the cassette are maintained and grown ex vivo, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The processor apparatus includes a support configured to removably receive the portable cassette and to be movable in a controlled manner, and it further includes a flow control actuator engageable with a media flow path of the portable cassette, which communicates with the cell growth chamber. The processor apparatus further includes a controller that controls the flow control actuator and the support, such that a quantity of growth medium is selectively delivered to the cell growth chamber, such that the cassette is moved in a manner that properly distributes the biological cells throughout the chamber, and such that biological cells are harvested from the cell growth chamber, all without exposing the chamber and the media flow path to the external environment. The processor apparatus also may be configured to retrieve data from, and to store data to, an updatable memory device carried on the portable cassette.

Processor apparatus for use in a system for maintaining and growing

A bioreactor for the ex vivo maintenance and growth of mammalian cells includes a disposable, self contained cell cassette, a system manager, an incubator unit matable with a plurality of the cassettes and a processor unit. The cell cassette includes a substantially circular cell growth chamber defined between a substantially planar cell bed and a gas permeable, liquid impervious membrane. A media inlet enters the cell growth chamber communicates at a radially central portion of the cell bed. A plurality of media outlets are radially outwardly spaced from the media inlet by a distance sufficient for cell growth to occur between the inlet and the outlets. The outlets are substantially equiangularly circumferentially spaced about the cell growth chamber.

Bioreactor for mammalian cell growth and maintenance

A portable cassette is disclosed, for use in receiving, maintaining and growing biological cells ex vivo without exposing the cells to the external environment. The portable cassette is used in combination with a processor instrument that facilitates an initial inoculation of the cassette with cells of the kind to be grown and to distribute those cells in a predetermined pattern (e.g., uniformly) throughout a cell growth chamber. Thereafter, the portable cassette is used in combination with an incubator instrument that incubates the cell growth chamber so that the cells are optimally expanded. The same processor instrument then is used to harvest the expanded cells from the portable cassette. Both instruments are configured to condition the portable cassette during stages of the cell growth process, without disturbing the cassette's sterile system.

Portable cassette for use in maintaining and growing biological cells

An incubator apparatus is disclosed, for conditioning a portable cassette such that biological cells contained within a cell growth chamber of the cassette are maintained and grown ex vivo, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The incubator apparatus includes first and second receptacles sized and configured to removably receive first and second casings, respectively, of the portable cassette, and it further includes first and second temperature regulators that regulate the temperatures of the respective first and second receptacles to prescribed values. In addition, the incubator apparatus includes a mechanical interface that is engaged by the portable cassette's first and second casings when they are received in their corresponding receptacles, and this mechanical interface controls the transport of growth media and a gas through the cassette's cell growth chamber, without exposing the cell growth chamber to the external environment. The incubator apparatus also is configured to retrieve data from, and to store data to, an updatable memory device carried on the cassette.

Growing community of inventors

Dexter, MI, United States of America

James Maluta