ARTIFICIAL PANCREATIC PERFUSION DEVICE WITH RESEEDABLE 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 semi-gel matrix or supporting material that is sufficiently viscous to physically support and maintain location of the islets about the hollow fiber, but sufficiently fluid to enable removal of the islet suspension from the device, followed by reseeding or replacement with fresh islet suspension. The matrix in which the islets are suspended preferably comprises calcium sodium alginate. The semi-gel supporting material also enables long term maintenance of islet cells in in vitro culture.