Design and operation of a radial flow bioreactor for reconstruction of cultured tissues

Abstract

Cell culture is the most important operation to produce tissues endowed with desired functions and constructions. The approaches to induce the functions of tissues have been done by many researchers using various types of stimuli such as physical and chemical factors existing in solid, aqueous and gaseous phases. The bioreactors can prepare accommodative culture conditions, realizing that the well-ordered assemble of the cells allows the success of tissue reconstruction in vitro. We exemplified the circulating medium flow bioreactor as the typical regulating system of culture under enforced oxygen supply and mechanical stress. In addition, the radial flow bioreactor was superior to oxygen supply in high cell density culture under low shear stress, resulting from high level of cross-sectional area of medium flow. The precise design of bioreactor based on assessments of shear stress and oxygen supply facilitate the production of well designed tissues in vitro. © 2005 Springer.