| abstract |
A bioartificial liver (30) to provide liver function to patients with liver insufficiency or failure is disclosed. The bioartificial liver is based on a bioreactor of the type having two fluid paths (42, 46) separated by a permeable medium (38). The bioreactor can be of either hollow fiber or flat-bed configuration. In the configuration using hollow fibers (40), the two fluid paths correspond to the cavity (36) surrounding the hollow fibers (the extracapillary space), and to the lumens of the hollow fibers themselves. Both fluid paths have inlet and outlet ports. Communication between the two fluid paths is across the permeable medium - the hollow fiber material. Hepatocytes (34) are inoculated into the hollow fibers in a solution which quickly forms a highly porous gel. The gel subsequently contracts, leaving an open channel within the hollow fiber adjacent to the gel core entrapped hepatocytes. This channel can be perfused with nutrient media for the hepatocytes. |