| abstract |
An apparatus and method for sterilizing, seeding, culturing, storing, shipping, and testing cartilage constructs is disclosed. The apparatus generally includes a treatment chamber and a means for varying the fluid flow and pressure within the treatment chamber during seeding and culturing. The application of pressure to the cartilage construct improves both the uniformity of seeding throughout the construct and facilitates the flow of nutrients to and removal of waste products from cells embedded in the construct. In this manner, a tissue-engineered cartilage construct with cells and their fibers oriented in a manner which is more likely to possess long term dimensional stability and the patency of cartilage with normal physiologic function may be formed. |