Artificial pancreatic perfusion device with temperature sensitive matrix

摘要

A device which serves as an artificial pancreas comprises a hollow fiber which is surrounded by islets of Langerhans enclosed in a housing. The islets are suspended in a temperature sensitive matrix which is sufficiently viscous to support islets at a temperature below about 45 DEG C. and sufficiently fluid to enable removal of islet suspension at a temperature above about 45 DEG C. A warm (e.g., 48 DEG to 50 DEG C.) solution may be flushed through the device to change the physical state of the temperature sensitive matrix from a semi-solid state to a liquified semi-gel state. The temperature sensitive supporting material also enables long term maintenance of islet cells in in vitro culture.