HOLLOW FIBER CULTURE DEVICE FOR IMPROVED NUTRIENT PERFUSION AND PRODUCT CONCENTRATION AND METHOD OF OPERATION

摘要

A hollow fiber culture device includes a first hollow fiber cartridge (12) and a second hollow fiber cartridge (14), the capillaries of which (18) are fluidly connected in series by a fluid connection (36) having a flow restriction therein (38). The flow restriction (38) provides a pressure drop between the capillaries of the first (18) and second (28) cartridges and provides back pressure to the cappilaries of the first hollow fiber cartridge so that medium is perfused under ultrafiltrative conditions. The extracapillary space (34) of the first hollow fiber cartridge is fluidly connected to the extracapillary space of the second hollow fiber cartridge (14) so that waste- and product-containing medium is conveyed to the extracapillary space (34) of the second hollow fiber cartridge wherein the product is concentrated and the waste-containing medium is diffused into the lumen of the capillaries.