Porous hydrophilic materials, chambers therefrom, and devices comprising such chambers and biologically active tissue and methods of preparation

摘要

Hydrophilic polymeric chambers for encapsulating biologically active tissue and methods for their preparation. The tissue refers to those essential cellular components of a particular organ that is capable of receiving, modifying or secreting hormones. A device comprising such chamber and such tissue is fabricated and implanted in a living body so that said tissue is permitted normal function without being rejected by the host's immunological system. The viability of the tissue in the device is maintained by a correlation of factors including pore size and membrane thickness of the hydrophilic chamber. To maintain the viability of the tissue, the implanted device allows the inflow of essential nutrients and gases, and outflow of metabolites and products while simultaneously excluding the ingress of cellular components of the host's immunological system.