Illinois Tool Works Inc.

St3 Development Corporation

Tissue Growth Technologies Corporation

National Research Council of Canada

Philippe Levesque

Jacob M Thibodeau

Blaise Damian Porter

Maria Moreno

Alexander T Carbone

Kent Steven Vilendrer

Christopher Martin Joyce

Daniel Minahan

Miles Malone

Jacob Thibodeau

An example flexible substrate testing system includes: a first substrate support structure configured to hold a first portion of a flexible substrate under test; a second substrate support structure configured to hold a second portion of the flexible substrate; one or more actuators configured to move the first and second substrate support structures at respective angles to fold the flexible substrate; and load cells configured to measure loads on the first substrate support structure and the second substrate support structure while the actuator moves the first substrate support structure and the second substrate support structure.

Methods and apparatus to perform load measurements on flexible substrates

An example flexible substrate testing system includes: a first substrate support structure configured to hold stationary a first portion of a flexible substrate under test; a second substrate support structure configured to hold a second portion of the flexible substrate; an actuator configured to move the second substrate support structure to fold the flexible substrate and to unfold the flexible substrate; and a load cell configured to measure a load on the flexible substrate.

The present grip design includes a two-piece clamp with an interior space which forms a mold for the sample material. The two-piece clamp further includes undercut apertures which engage complementary tapered portions of upper and lower grips. The sample material can be poured to fill the mold formed within the two-piece clamp. The interior of the upper and lower grips includes a pattern, such as, but not limited to, a threaded pattern, in order to more firmly engage the sample. The samples may include soft materials, liquids, gels, compounds, powdered or similar materials. The grip may be used in connection with bioreactor or materials testing applications.

Molding grip fixture

A bioreactor system for growing and conditioning tissue for research and implantation in a human or animal body is disclosed which includes one or more tissue growth chambers for growing and conditioning tissue, each chamber being defined by a housing and providing a fluid culture media cavity which can act as a reservoir. A construct for growing three-dimensional tissues is housed in each tissue growth chamber. Each chamber is connected to a source of pressurized air for applying a controlled pressure to the chamber media cavity. The tissue growth chambers can be mounted on an agitation device such as a shaker system which enhances mass transport within the chamber media cavity. A control system is provided to control the pressure and temperature of the pressurized gas delivered to the chamber media cavity and subsequently to the tissue construct.

Bioreactor system for three-dimensional tissue stimulator

An apparatus and method is described for culturing and conditioning cells on a sample. The apparatus includes a fluid delivery system that transmits gas to a first surface of a sample and transmits liquid to an opposite surface of the sample without transmitting liquid onto the first surface. Further, while culturing cells on the sample, the apparatus enables a constant or variable tension and shear stress applied to the sample. The apparatus may thus, for example, be used to culture cells on an external surface of a tissue construct with air and culture cells underneath the tissue construct with a cell growth media. The fluid delivery system may alternatively transmit liquid cell growth media underneath and on the sides of the tissue construct without flowing onto a designated external surface of the tissue construct. In this manner, cells may be cultured on the tissue construct while stretching and relaxing the tissue and further simulating a dissimilar environment on opposite surfaces of the tissue construct.

Gas and liquid tissue culture interface

An apparatus and method is described for seeding cells on a sample or specimen. The cells may be selectively and locally seeded on an upper and lower surface of a planar sample or specimen or on either or both of an interior luminal surface and exterior surface of a hollow sample or specimen. The apparatus includes a chamber suitable for cell seeding, cell growth, and cell conditioning.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Philippe Levesque