APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STERILIZING, SEEDING, CULTURING, STORING, SHIPPING AND TESTING TISSUE, SYNTHETIC OR NATIVE, VASCULAR GRAFTS

摘要

An apparatus and method for sterilizing, seeding, culturing, storing, shipping, and testing vascular grafts is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for seeding and culturing vascular grafts with human cells. The apparatus includes a fluid reservoir (10), a pump (12), an alternating pressure source (16), and at least one treatment chamber (14). By alternating pressure to a support structure within the treatment chamber upon which a vascular graft scaffold is positioned, a varying radial stress is placed on the scaffold. In an alternative embodiment, fluid is pumped directly through the vascular graft subjecting the vascular graft to radial and shear stresses. Applying shear and/or radial stresses to the vascular graft during seeding and culturing simulates physiological conditions.