EP1363557A1

EP1363557A1 - Bioartificial device for storing, cultivating and/or reproducing cells

Info

Publication number: EP1363557A1
Application number: EP02710668A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Boris-Wolfgang Hochleitner; Paul Hengster
Original assignee: Margreiter Raimund
Current assignee: HENGSTER, PAUL; Hochleitner Boris-Wolfgang; Margreiter Raimund
Priority date: 2001-02-14
Filing date: 2002-02-11
Publication date: 2003-11-26
Also published as: US7067307B2; US20040033593A1; JP2004526438A; EP1234553A1; WO2002064063A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a bioartificial device having a reactor vessel (6), wherein a cell culture chamber (14) is divided off from a flow chamber (17,21) for a nutritive medium and from a flow chamber (21) for plasma and blood by semipermeable walls. At least one flow chamber (17, 21) is formed by a tube (18, 22) that is wound in the shape of a screw and that is made of semipermeable material.

Description

BIOARTIFI CELL DEVICE FOR STORING, CULTIVATING AND / OR PROPAGING CELLS

The invention relates to a bioartificial device for storing, cultivating and / or multiplying cells, in particular liver cells, with a reactor vessel in which a cell culture chamber through semipermeable walls on the one hand from a flow chamber for a nutrient medium and on the other hand from a flow chamber for a body substance, in particular plasma or blood is divided.

Examples of devices with a flow chamber for culturing cells, for example islet cells or the like, are shown in US Pat. Nos. 4,242,460, 4,323,457 or 4,649,114. In all three devices, the flow chamber is formed by a coiled tube or the like.

US Pat. Nos. 5,043,260, 5,605,835, 5,827,729 and 6,008,049 show examples of devices and systems of the type mentioned at the beginning with two flow chambers which can be used as bioartificial liver.

Bioreactors with two flow chambers allow the storage, culture and proliferation of all cells or tissues of all kinds. This enables on the one hand

Relationships with cell-cell contacts (random collisions), but on the other hand the exchange of substances on the cell surfaces. Such ratios can be used for a wide variety of cells, in particular for cells with unlimited cell division

(Stem cells) can be beneficial and allow unlimited time culture and propagation. The equipment with two separate perfusion circuits through the

Raktorgefäß allows the supply and supply of nutrient substrates or oxygen via the one circuit, and the simultaneous or intermittent discharge of

Synthesis products of the cells or the exchange of substances with the patient via the other circuit, as is required in the context of a bioartificial liver. However, it could also be a metabolic or synthetic product from the

Reactor vessel for obtaining a substance can be derived, for example if

Bacterial cells are cultivated that produce a specific product.

For the cultivation of cells in the context of cell expansion, a separate supply of different substances can also be carried out via the two circulatory systems be made possible. For example, a basic nutrient medium is supplied via the first circuit and a growth factor or differentiation factor is continuously or intermittently supplied or a product is derived via the second circuit at the same or different speed, possibly through other membrane types, as may be the case due to different penetration behavior. Gases (oxygen) can also be supplied separately from the medium via the second circuit.

Devices with liver function should be able to temporarily take over a patient's liver function, especially in the case of one of the following diseases:

1. Acute liver failure (fulminant course of infectious hepatitis, intoxications such as tuber poisoning, etc.)

2. Primary non-function of a liver transplant 3. Bridging until liver transplantation in the case of sudden worsening of a chronic liver disease 4. Intermittent treatment for chronic liver failure.

Acute liver failure is a constellation of clinical symptoms that result from sudden liver failure (Hoofnagle). By definition, hepatic encephalopathy, coagulopathy and jaundice must be present. In many cases, however, brain edema, kidney failure and finally multi-organ failure occur. Depending on the etiology, different symptoms may be preferred. For example, paracetamol poisoning is known to cause encephalopathy and severe coagulopathy with little jaundice, while fulminant non-A non-B hepatitis is often associated with severe jaundice.

The time factor allows a certain prognostic statement. Paradoxically, the group of patients with the fastest developing encephalopathy has a great chance of spontaneous remission (Gimson 1986, Benhamou 1991). A distinction is thus made between hyperacute, acute and subacute liver failure (O'Grady 1993). Hyperacute liver failure is used to describe patients who experience encephalopathy within 8 days of the onset of jaundice. In terms of etiology, paracetamol poisoning and sometimes acute hepatitis A and B are the most likely to belong to this group. The acute liver failure includes patients with a period of eight to twenty-eight days between jaundice and encephalopathy. Most liver failures of viral aetiology present themselves in this way. With subacute liver failure, encephalopathy occurs with a latency of four to twenty-six weeks. Most patients in this group have so-called non-A non-B hepatitis, where no viral agent can be identified.

Over 50% of cases of acute liver failure in North American and European centers have the course and clinical picture of acute viral hepatitis, although in many cases no specific viral hepatitis pathogen can be identified (Fagan and Harrison 1994). In most series, hepatitis B is the most common viral hepatitis agent that can cause acute liver failure, followed by non-A non-B and hepatitis A. This is particularly true in France, where 46% of all patients with acute liver failure are HBV positive. In Japan it is as high as 62%. Due to the low prevalence of HBV infections in the UK, non-A non-B hepatitis is the leading viral cause of acute liver failure in the UK. Hepatitis C plays a minor role in the large series of the western world (Sallie et al 1994), although few well-documented case reports of fulminant hepatitis C have been published (Theilmann 1992).

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning was present in 250 of 342 cases of acute liver failure that were recorded at King's College, London between 1993 and 1994 with encephalopathy - grade III and IV, respectively. A viral genesis was assumed in 44 patients (hepatitis A n = 8, hepatitis B n = 8, non-A, B, C, D, E n = 28). Rare causes were Wilson's disease, gestational doses, lymphoma / malignant transformation, sepsis, Budd-Chiari syndrome, ischemic hepatitis, and reactions to medications (e.g. cyproterones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chloroquine, rifampicin, isoniazid, halothane, flucloxacillin).

At the time the patient was admitted, the major liver damage had already expired. At this point, the histological examination of the liver shows necrosis zones and - depending on the latency - regeneration zones. The clinical symptoms and course of the disease depend on the interaction of three factors: 1) the ability of the liver to regenerate, 2) the adverse metabolic consequences of liver failure and 3) the delivery of proinflammatory Matory, partly toxic mediators from the necrotic liver. Characteristically, liver failure results in multi-organ failure.

The prognosis is decisively influenced by the presence of encephalopathy with consecutive brain edema. Patients with acute liver failure whose enzaphalopathy does not progress beyond Grade I-II have an excellent prognosis, while the patient group with Grade III-IV has a much higher mortality. 80% of patients with grade IV encephalopathy usually develop cerebral edema (O'Grady et al. 1988). The pathogenetic factors leading to hepatic encephalopathy and cerebral edema have not yet been investigated. A distinction can be made between vasogenic factors that lead to extracellular edema due to the disturbed blood-brain barrier and cytotoxic mediators that lead to intracellular edema. The latter include benzodiazepine agonists, an altered gamma-aminobutyric acid status, an increased concentration of aromatic amines, ammonia and mercaptans. Basile et al. (1991) was able to detect increased concentrations of 1,4-benzodiazepines in the brains of patients with acute liver failure.

The clinical signs that result from the increased intracranial pressure are coma, systemic hypertension, abnormal pupillary reflexes and impairment of the brainstem reflexes. The increased intracranial pressure further reduces cerebral blood flow (Almdal et al. 1989, Sari et al. 1990) with consecutive cerebral ischemia and sometimes epileptiform activity.

Hypoglycemia occurs early in the clinical course and is the result of increased circulating insulin with impaired gluconeogenesis and reduced glucogen breakdown. Hypophosphataemia is also observed early. The frequently found metabolic acidosis can be explained by the reduced lactate metabolism of the liver and by tissue hypoxia with increasing peripheral lactate formation (Bihari, 1985).

Infections are a frequent complication of acute liver failure, although it must be assumed that the function of neutrophil leukocytes and copper's stellate cells and opsonization are impaired in liver failure. This leads to an impaired clearance of endotoxins and a translocation of bacteria through the mucosal barrier of the intestine.

In the King's College series, bacterial infections were identified in 80% of patients with acute liver failure, with cultured Staphylococcus aureus being the most common pathogen (Rolando et al. 1990). Fungal infections, mostly Candida albicans, become increasingly important in the later course of the disease (Rolando 1991).

Another characteristic symptom of acute liver failure is coagulopathy. The prothrombin time correlates well with the severity of liver damage. Since the coagulation factor V has the shortest half-life, it is the most sensitive parameter for coagulopathy. However, this cannot only be explained by a restricted synthesis of coagulation factors. In addition, an increased peripheral oxygen consumption occurs in the context of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIG) (O'Grady et al. 1986). The platelet function is also restricted; Thrombocytopenia and restricted aggregation in acute liver failure have been described.

Orthotopic liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for fulminant and chronic liver failure. However, we are increasingly confronted with a blatant lack of organs. Data from the United States show that a patient is listed for a transplant every 30 minutes, while a donor is reported only about every 2 hours. The situation in this country is similar. In 1996 there were 973 liver transplants in the Eurotransplant area, while in the same period 1,393 new patients were registered on the waiting list for a liver transplant. In 1996, 200 (12%) patients died on the waiting list for a liver transplant.

Liver transplantation is often unavoidable in acute liver failure because after a fulminant course of infectious hepatitis or intoxication (tuber leaf fungus, acetaminophen, carbon tetrachloride, etc.) the liver does not regenerate quickly enough. Mortality without transplantation is reported in the literature between 70% -90%. Although several groups have formulated clinical criteria for the indication for liver transplantation, it can be extremely difficult to find the right one Determine the time of the transplant or get a suitable organ in good time. Temporary liver replacement would allow the patient to

The liver regeneration phase survives without the costly transplantation, which is often not available in time due to the lack of organs. The lifelong Im unsuppression with all its side effects could also be dispensed with. A variety of different procedures have been tried as temporary liver replacements.

Hemodialysis, activated carbon hemadsorption, affinity chromatography to remove metabolic products, and many other techniques have not been widely used

Acceptance found. The most promising development is that of the "bioartificial" liver. Given the complexity of the metabolic and physiological functions of the liver, this extracorporeal liver replacement system contains living hepatocytes. Since human liver cells are not sufficiently available and can only be inadequately grown in culture, Either hepatoma cell lines or xenogenic porcine hepatocytes were used, which can only be done with certainty if the patient's plasma or blood do not come into direct contact with the liver cell compartment, which is the only way to prevent unwanted immune reactions and infections semipermeable membrane therefore separates blood / plasma on one side from the hepatocytes on the other and still enables the necessary exchange of substances, individual case reports on the continuous use of such a bioartificial liver in patients with a fulminant liver Messages initially gave rise to hope. However, controlled clinical studies with these systems, some of which were commercially available, showed no benefit in terms of survival for patients with acute liver failure.

The invention has now set itself the task of creating a bioartificial device of the type mentioned in the introduction, in which cell cultivation, in particular on microscopic carrier particles (microcarriem), and its use as an extracorporeal system is possible under the following conditions: 1. Sufficient space for the cells contained in a suspension (e.g. 2 x 10 ¹⁰ liver cells)

2. Maximum exchange surface of the partition between the cell culture and the flow chamber for the body substance

3. Mass transfer up to a maximum mass of about 100,000 to 120,000 daltons 4. Exclusion of gas bubbles and preferably:

5. Compliance with microgravity conditions, ie extremely low shear forces and turbulence. 6. Continuous supply of nutrient medium saturated with oxygen

7. Continuous assessment of cell quality and condition of the nutrient medium.

A device according to the invention is now characterized in that at least one of the two flow chambers is formed by a tube made of a semi-permeable material and wound helically in the cell culture chamber. This arrangement creates a maximum exchange area with the simplest construction, since the flow chamber is practically completely surrounded by the cell culture, in particular in the form of a suspension. In contrast to reactors in which several flow chambers arranged in parallel to one another in the form of flat slots, hollow fibers or the like are provided, the device according to the invention has the advantage that instead of several parallel connections for inflow and outflow, only a single connection between the hose and the inflow or outflow must be provided, the hose having the large exchange surface required due to the helical winding.

Since in the use as bioartificial liver the exchange area between plasma / blood and the cell suspension should be considerably larger than the exchange area between the nutrient medium and the cell suspension, provision is further preferably made for the flow chamber for the body substance to be arranged through a hose coil arranged near the outer wall of the reactor vessel is formed, and the flow chamber for the nutrient medium is arranged centrally within the hose coil in the reactor vessel. In a first preferred embodiment, the flow chamber arranged centrally in the reactor vessel can also be formed by a helically arranged hose made of a semi-permeable hose. The two hose coils can therefore be arranged coaxially one inside the other. In this embodiment, the flow chamber for the nutrient medium also has a large exchange area.

In a second preferred embodiment it is provided that the central flow chamber for the nutrient medium is cylindrical and a wall a semipermeable membrane. In this embodiment, the semipermeable membrane preferably consists of a nitrocellulose, such as that for

Membrane filter is used, the choice of pore size

Transfer rates between the nutrient medium and the cell culture chamber can be better tailored to their needs. Since such nitrocellulose membranes are not self-supporting, it is preferably provided that the membrane on a

Wire mesh is supported.

For use as a bioartificial liver, a nitrocellulose membrane with a pore size of 0.3 μm has proven particularly favorable, which has a transfer rate of 33 ml / min for the nutrient medium per square centimeter and a pressure difference of 1 bar between the cell culture chamber and the flow chamber.

For the supply of the cells with the nutrient medium as well as for the exchange of substances with the body substance, it is advantageous if each flow chamber is assigned to a rotatingly driven carrier. The rotation of the chamber leads to a kind of weightless state in which cells do not lie in layers one above the other, but are kept in suspension by the stirring effect in the suspension and are supplied more evenly and better with the nutrient medium. The carrier of the flow chamber through which the nutrient medium flows is preferably connected to a central drive shaft and the carrier of the hose coil through which the body substance flows is connected to a driven flange of the reactor vessel which is rotatably mounted on the central drive shaft.

The or each tube preferably consists of a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and at least the outer tube has a pore size corresponding to approximately 100,000 Daltons. If both flow chambers are formed by helical coils, the flow directions of the nutrient medium and the body substance are preferably opposite.

The speed of rotation is variable and should be set between 20 and 40 revolutions per minute. The two carriers are preferably driven separately, so that, for example, the inner carrier can be driven more quickly in order to counteract a gradient between the outer and inner walls. The volume of the cylinder interior is preferably about one liter. It comes with a Suspension culture of hepatocytes filled without gas bubbles. In this case, the cell suspension contains about 2 x 10 ¹⁰ cells, which corresponds approximately to the yield of a pig liver. An outer tube coil for plasma / blood preferably comprises one

Surface of approx. 4.5 m ² . The bioreactor is heated to 37 ° C. by an incubator, a water jacket, an external heating coil or the like. Because of the continuous supply of oxygen from the oxygen saturated

Nutrient medium through the wall of the inner flow chamber and the preferably oxygen-enriched plasma or blood through the wall of the outer

Hose can have an average lifespan of the liver cells of 20 days, with a very good to sufficient functionality over at least

14 days has been determined.

The reactor vessel is preferably cylindrical and has a horizontally arranged axis.

The inlet and outlet connections of the or each flow chamber can be arranged in the two end faces of the reactor vessel. They are preferably arranged on the same side, the tube being able to be returned in different ways from the end of the helix. A first possibility provides a second helical winding, a second possibility a straight reflux section and a preferred third variant a rigid reflux pipe, which can run in particular in the central shaft.

Alternatively, the bioartificial device can have stationary connections and fixed flow chambers. In this case, the reactor vessel is rotatably mounted on a fixed bearing block to which the flow chambers are attached and provided with an external drive. A gentle stirring effect in the cell culture suspension can be achieved in that the particularly pot-like reactor vessel has at least one wing or the like protruding between the helical coils or flow-through chambers, which stands up from the bottom of the vessel.

The invention will now be described in more detail below with reference to the figures in the accompanying drawing, without being limited thereto.

Show it: 1 shows an axial section through a first embodiment of a bioartificial device with liver function along the line II of FIG. 3,

2 shows an axial section offset by 90 ° through the bioartificial device along the line II-II of FIG. 3,

3 is an end view,

4 shows a bar chart of the survival times of three test animals,

5 shows an associated diagram of the intracranial pressure curve of the test animals, FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of a bioartificial device with liver function in an axial section according to FIG. 1 and

7 shows a third embodiment of a bioartificial device in an axial section according to FIG. 1.

1 to 3, a bioartificial device has a reactor vessel 6 which is arranged in a base frame 1 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis 13. A bearing block 2 is vertically inserted into the base frame 1, in which a hollow cylindrical outer drive shaft 4 is mounted, which has an end flange 5. The flange 5 and a housing pot 11 made of, in particular, transparent material and connected to it via an easily detachable locking ring 16 form the reactor vessel 6. A central drive shaft 3 is rotatably mounted in the hollow cylindrical drive shaft 4. Both drive shafts 3, 4 are provided with drive transmission elements 33, 34, for example gearwheels, pulleys or the like, which are connected to an output element 32 of a motor 31 via a corresponding traction means. The drive transmission element 34 preferably has a larger outer diameter, so that the speed of the drive shaft 4 is less than the speed of the drive shaft 3.

The reactor vessel 6 has a cell culture chamber 14 which is accessible via at least one test opening 15 formed in the flange 5. These can be used to take a sample of the cell culture as well as to remove or supply it in order to compensate for any pressure changes in the reactor vessel 6. A piece of tube or hose 54 preferably extends from the or a test opening 15 into the interior of the cell culture chamber 14 in order to enable a sample to be taken from a region that is not at the edge. A flow-through chamber 17 for a nutrient medium and a flow-through chamber 21 for a body substance, in particular plasma or

Blood. The flow chambers 17 and 21 are arranged separately from one another and each formed in a tube which consists of a semipermeable material, in particular a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), the pore size of which corresponds to a maximum of approximately 100,000 daltons. The flow chamber 17 for the

Nutrient medium is formed by the hose coil 18, which is wound helically on a carrier 19 which has a plurality of carrier strips receiving the turns. The end of the support 19 protrudes from a connecting element 20 which is fastened to the central drive shaft 3 by means of a screw 81. The carrier 19 and the hose coil 18 therefore rotate with the drive shaft 3. The tube forming the flow chamber 21 for plasma or blood is also helically wound in the form of a tube coil 22 on two to eight carrier strips which form the carrier 23. The carrier strips of the carrier 23 protrude near the outer wall 12 of the reactor vessel 6 from the flange 5, which is provided on the outer drive shaft 4, which rotates preferably more slowly.

Both tube coils 18, 22 are arranged in the cell culture chamber 14, the horizontal rotation axis 13 and the preferred speed difference between the two tube coils providing a slightly gentle stirring effect in the cell culture, by means of which the mass exchange between the nutrient medium in the central tube and the cell culture and between the plasma or blood in the outer tube and the cell culture. The helical arrangement of the two hoses also results in a very large exchange area between the individual media. The hose windings can be arranged in contact with one another (FIG. 1) or at a distance (FIG. 2) on the carriers 19, 23. A contacting arrangement results in a greater overall length due to a higher number of turns, while a spaced arrangement enables replacement over the entire circumference of the hose, since there is no mutual covering in the contact area of the turns.

The inflow of the nutrient medium and the plasma or blood into the hose coil 18, 22 and their backflow take place in each case via the central drive shaft 3 in separate flow channels. Connections 47, 48, 49, 50 are provided on the bearing block 2, which have radial bores 27, 28, 29, 30 in the central drive shaft 3 in Flow connection. Between the inner wall of the bearing block 2 and the outer drive shaft 4, outer ring channels 41 are provided for each inflow or return flow, which are delimited by axially spaced separating rings 42 and the respective flow connections between the connections 47, 48, 49, 50 and radial bores 37 , 38, 39, 40 of the rotating outer drive shaft 4. Between the inner wall of the outer drive shaft 4 and the central drive shaft 3, inner ring channels 35 are provided per inflow or return flow, which are delimited by axially spaced separating rings 36 and the respective flow connection between the radial bores 37, 38, 39, 40 of the outer drive shaft 4 and the bores 27, 28, 29, 30 of the faster rotating central drive shaft 3.

The central drive shaft 3 contains four mutually parallel flow channels 7, 8, 9, 10. Of these, the flow channel 7 is extended by an extension tube 25 projecting into the housing pot 11, the radially bent end of which extends with the first end of the hose coil 18 opposite the flange 5 connected is. The flow channel 8 is extended into a connecting element 20 and ends in a radial inlet bore 24, to which the flange-near second end of the hose coil 18 is connected. Nutrient medium for supplying the cell culture can thus via the first connection 47 into the outer ring channel 41, through the bore 37 of the outer drive shaft 4 into the inner ring channel 35, through the bore 27 of the central drive shaft 3 in its first flow channel 7 and through the extension tube 25 flow into the hose coil 18. From the spiral tube 18, the circulating nutrient medium flows through the inlet opening 24, the second flow channel 8 and the radial bore 28 of the central drive shaft 3 into the associated inner ring channel 35 and through the bore 38 of the outer drive shaft 4 and the associated outer ring channel 41 to the second connection 48 of the bearing block 2.

The flow channels 9, 10 of the central drive shaft 3 are connected via inner radial bores 43, 44 to ring channels 45 which are delimited by separating rings 46 and are arranged between the central drive shaft 3 and the flange 5 of the outer drive shaft 4. The flange 5 has channels 51, 52 which lead into the area of the outer carrier 23. The hose coil 22 is connected to the outlet of the channel 51. An extension tube 53 leads from the outlet of the channel 52 to the free end of the carrier 23, at which the second end of the hose coil 22 is connected to the extension tube 53. Plasma or blood flows into the bioartificial device via the third connection 49 and passes through the associated outer ring channel 41 and the bore 39 of the outer drive shaft 4 into the associated inner ring channel 35, through the bore 29 of the central drive shaft 3 into its third flow channel 9, through the second, inner bore 43 at the end of the flow channel 9 into the associated ring channel 45, and finally through the channel 51 in the flange 5 to the outer tube coil 22, in which the plasma or cell is cleaned by exchange of substances with the cell culture in the cell culture chamber 14 Blood is done. The treated plasma or blood flows through the extension tube 53 and the channel 52 in the flange 5 into the associated ring channel 45, through the inner bore 44 of the central drive shaft 3 in its fourth flow channel 10, through the outer bore 30 of the central drive shaft 3 in the associated inner ring channel 35, and through the bore 40 of the outer drive shaft 4 and the associated ring channel 41 to the fourth connection 50 of the bearing block 2.

For the first filling or emptying, the bearing block 2 is removed from the base frame 1, so that the reactor vessel 6 can be set up, the axis 13 extending perpendicularly. After removing the locking ring 16, the bearing block 2 with the flange 5 and the hose coils 18, 22 arranged on the two supports 19, 23 can be removed upwards. The used cell culture can be emptied or new cell culture can be filled into the housing pot 11. The unit of flange 5 with the two hose coils 18, 22 and the bearing block 2 is placed on the housing pot 11 and sealed with the help of the closure ring 16 to the reactor vessel 6. The reactor vessel 6 can then be folded over and inserted horizontally into the base frame 1 with the help of the bearing block 2.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing pot 11 has a volume of approximately one cubic decimeter and can hold approximately 2 × 10 ¹⁰ hepatocytes suspended in a medium. The speeds of the two drive cells 3, 4 are in particular between 20 and 40 revolutions per minute, the speed of the central drive shaft 3 corresponding, for example, to one and a quarter times the speed of the outer drive shaft 4. In this case, the speeds are from 20 and 30 revolutions to 25 and 37.5 revolutions per minute. 4 and 5 show the result of an animal experiment in which three Germans

Country pigs, each with about 30 kg live weight, the survival time was determined in a surgically induced model of acute liver failure. Acute liver failure was caused by an 80% liver resection followed by an hour's disconnection of the residual liver hilus. The intracranial pressure (ICP) was also checked. Since plasmapheresis is also used to treat acute liver failure, the following requirements were met: One of the three animals remained without therapy (control), in a second animal plasma was separated from the blood in a plasmapheresis device and reinfused as whole blood without further manipulation ( Control plasmapheresis). In the third animal, plasma was also separated from the blood in a plasmapheresis device, and this was then passed through a bioartificial device with the information described above. The treated plasma was again mixed with the previously separated residual blood and returned (IBAL 1).

Fig. 4 shows that the control animal and the plasmapheresis control animal each had a survival time of almost 24 hours. In contrast, the third animal, whose plasma was cleaned or regenerated in the bioartificial device according to the invention, lived for almost 50 hours, the cause of death, as shown in FIG. 5, not being an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP). In contrast, the intracranial pressure increased extremely in the control animal, and decreased in the plasmapheresis control animal, but significantly.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, a central cylindrical holding element 103 is removably arranged in a bearing block 102. The holding element has the connections 147, 148 shown, via which nutrient medium can be supplied and removed, and two further connections, via which blood and plasma can be supplied and removed. The connections 147, 148 open into flow channels 107, 108 which extend parallel to the axis 113. A flange 105 with a circumferential roller bearing 160 is mounted on the holding element 103, on which a housing pot 111 of a reactor vessel 106 is rotatably mounted. The housing pot 111 is provided on the outside of the wall 112 with a ring gear 161 and is rotatably connected to a motor 131 via a drive transmission element. The flange 105 and the housing pot 11 of the reactor vessel 106 contain a cell culture chamber 114, into which two stirring elements 162 protrude from the bottom of the housing pot 111, which are caused by the rotation of the housing wall 112 conditioned, gentle mixing of the contents of the cell culture chamber

114 support.

The flow channel 108 ends in a connecting element 120 which is fixed to the flange 105 or the holding element 103 by means of a screw 181 and has a radial bore 124. The flow channel 107 is continued beyond the connecting element 120 through an extension tube 125. A hose 118 wound helically on the strips of a support 119 is connected on the one hand to the extension tube 125 and on the other hand to the radial bore 124, the hose coil projecting centrally into the rotating housing pot 111 as an extension of the holding element 103.

A second hose 122, helically wound on strips of a carrier 123, serves as the flow chamber for blood and plasma and is connected to flow channels in the holding element 103 via channels (not shown) in the flange 105, of which the flow channel 109 is indicated by dashed lines. The reactor vessel 106 has a test opening 115 which is connected to the cell culture chamber 114 via an inner hose or tube piece 154.

FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment in which the flow chamber 21 for plasma or blood is again in the form of a hose coil 22 which is arranged near the outer wall 12 of the reactor vessel 6. The flow chamber 17 for the nutrient medium in this embodiment, however, is formed by a cylindrical insert divided into two spaces 82, 83, which is fastened to the central drive shaft 3 by means of a screw 81 and has a wall made of a semipermeable membrane 71. The insert comprises two end plates 73, 74 and an approximately central partition 76 which are connected by a central spacer 75. The semipermeable membrane 71 is supported by a wire mesh 72, which is reinforced per space 82, 83 by at least one coil spring 79, 80. The semipermeable membrane 71 is made in particular of nitrocellulose and has a pore size of 0.3 μm. The wire mesh 72 has, for example, a mesh size of 45 μm and consists of a corrosion-resistant metal or a suitable plastic. The end plate 73 corresponds to the connecting element 20 of FIGS. 1 and 2, which to the

Front of the central drive shaft 3 connects. The end plate 73 has an opening 77 aligned with the flow channel 7, which opens into the first space 82.

A tube piece 78, which extends parallel to the axis 13 from the end plate 73, and the return flow of the nutrient medium from the second space projects into the second space 83

83 in the flow channel 8 of the central drive shaft 3 is used.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7 - as in FIGS. 1 to 3 - both flow chambers 17, 21 are rotatably arranged in the housing pot 11 of the reactor vessel 6 and are described in FIGS. 1 to 3 via the drive shafts 3, 4 Way driven. However, it is also possible to design the flow chamber for the nutrient medium as a cylindrical insert with a semipermeable nitrocellulose membrane 71 in the embodiment according to FIG. 6 with stationary flow chambers and driven housing pot 111.

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Bioartificial device for the storage, cultivation and / or multiplication of cells, in particular liver cells, with a reactor vessel (6) in which a cell culture chamber (14) through semipermeable walls on the one hand from a flow chamber (17) for a nutrient medium and on the other hand is divided from a flow chamber (21) for a body substance, in particular plasma or blood, characterized in that at least one of the two flow chambers (17, 21) is formed by a tube made of a semipermeable material arranged helically in the cell culture chamber (14).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the flow chamber (21) for the body substance is formed by a near the outer wall (12) of the reactor vessel (6) arranged hose coil (22), and the flow chamber (17) for the nutrient medium within the hose coil (22) centrally in the reactor vessel

(6) is arranged.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the two flow chambers (17, 21) is formed by a in the cell culture chamber (14) helically arranged hose (18, 22) made of a semi-permeable material, and the two Hose coils (18, 22) are arranged coaxially.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the central flow chamber (17) for the nutrient medium is cylindrical and has a wall made of a semipermeable membrane (71).

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the membrane (71) is supported on a wire mesh (72).

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one flow chamber (17, 21) is arranged on a driven carrier (19, 23).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the carrier (19) of the flow chamber (17) through which nutrient medium flows, with a central one

Drive shaft (3) is connected.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the carrier (23) of the body through which the hose coil (22) is connected to a driven flange (5) of the reactor vessel (6) which is rotatably mounted on the central drive shaft (3) is.

9. Device according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the speeds of the two driven carriers (19, 23) are different.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the reactor vessel (106) has a driven peripheral wall (112), and each flow chamber (17, 21) is arranged on a fixed support (119, 123).

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the driven peripheral wall (112) is assigned at least one between the flow chambers (17, 21) projecting stirring element (162).

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the reactor vessel (106) has a driven housing pot (111), from the bottom of which the stirring element (162) stands up.

13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the reactor vessel (1) is cylindrical and its axis (13) is arranged horizontally.

14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the inlet and outlet connections (47, 48, 49, 50) of the flow chambers (17, 21) are arranged on the same side of the reactor vessel (6), and a connection each flow chamber (17, 21) is provided on a pipe (25, 53) guided through the reactor vessel (6).

15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the cell culture chamber (14) is assigned at least one test or pressure compensation opening (15).