Apparatus and method for sterilizing, seeding, culturing, storing, shipping, and testing tissue, synthetic, or mechanical heart valves orvalve segments
US5846828A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1995 |
| Grant date | Dec 8, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S623/922
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for sterilizing, seeding, culturing, storing, shipping, and testing heart valves is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for dynamically seeding and culturing heart valves with human cells, resulting in a heart valve populated with viable human cells. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a fluid reservoir, a pneumatic pressure chamber, a pressure source for providing a varying pressure to the pressure chamber, and a heart valve holder. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a fluid reservoir, a pump, a venturi tube, a heart valve chamber, a heart valve holder, and a valve connected to a timer. In each embodiment, the components are combined in a fluid circuit to create a variable cycling and pulsatile fluid flow for seeding and culturing which can closely resemble the physiological conditions found in the human heart.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.