DEVELOPMENT OF AN IN-HOUSE CUSTOMIZED PERFUSION-BASED BIOREACTOR FOR 3D CELL CULTURE

Bio-fabrication in the modern age is moving closer to creating viable three-dimensional scaffolds. Both cell-encapsulated and cell-seeded scaffolds need to be cultured to allow for proper cell viability and proliferation. Typical cell culturing methods, due to the three-dimensional nature of the scaffolds, are ineffective as stagnant or even moving mediums cannot enter or pass through the scaffold to reach all the areas inside. To compensate, perfusion bioreactors were developed where a systematic modification of this dynamic culture setup can improve the in vivo stimuli and conditions, and eventually, the overall performance of tissue regeneration. To do this, a set of design modifications were implemented expecting better performance. During operation, the success of an experiment can be difficult without the dynamic feedback due to the fully enclosed nature of a cell-seeded and cell-encapsulated scaffold. To compensate, oxygen sensors have been implemented before and after the perfusion chamber to track the oxygen being used by the cells during the incubation period, giving us a window into the cell's proliferation. The prototype takes advantage of a dual medium tank design which allowed us to replace the medium without stopping or interrupting perfusion. A cyclical pressure modulation device has been implemented to better simulate in vivo conditions by modulating the pressure within the chamber, mimicking the natural pressure cues within the body such as the heartbeat and movement. The bioreactor will also take advantage of a newly designed perfusion chamber that can accommodate an array of cassettes allowing for a wide assortment of scaffold shapes and sizes.