초록 ▼

An apparatus for sodding onto the inner lumenal surface of a synthetic graft of harvested and concentrated microvessel endothelial cells from liposuctioned fat tissues, which harvested cells are formed into a "pellet" of isolated endothelial cells in loose aggregations, includes a sodding tube havin

An apparatus for sodding onto the inner lumenal surface of a synthetic graft of harvested and concentrated microvessel endothelial cells from liposuctioned fat tissues, which harvested cells are formed into a "pellet" of isolated endothelial cells in loose aggregations, includes a sodding tube having a single rigid outer wall bounding a sodding chamber. A filter pack assembly is provided to communicate the pellet of cells from a processing vessel to the graft. This filter pack assembly includes a series of successively finer filter members cooperatively defining a series of turbulent-flow chambers in which aggregations of cells too large to pass through a particular filter are exposed to liquid flow turbulence which is effective to break up the aggregations. A check valve assembly ensures that liquid flow is unidirectional so that sodding of the cells onto the inner lumenal surface of the graft is not interfered with by possible liquid reflux, and sodded cells are similarly not dislodged from the graft by such liquid reflux.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A sodding tube assembly for use in receiving a quantity of certain isolated cells from tissues and for sodding the cells onto an inner lumenal surface of a tubular synthetic graft having a porous wall, said sodding tube assembly comprising:an elongate tubular member having a pair o

[ We claim:] [1.] A sodding tube assembly for use in receiving a quantity of certain isolated cells from tissues and for sodding the cells onto an inner lumenal surface of a tubular synthetic graft having a porous wall, said sodding tube assembly comprising:an elongate tubular member having a pair of opposite ends;an inlet fitting and filter pack assembly sealingly cooperating with said tubular member at one of said pair of opposite ends, said inlet fitting and filter pack assembly defining an inlet flow path for receiving the cells and communicating the cells into the lumen of the graft, and a plurality of filter members cooperatively defining a number of turbulent-flow chambers successively along said inlet flow path; andan outlet fitting and check valve assembly sealingly cooperating with said tubular member at the other of said pair of opposite ends and cooperating with said tubular member and said inlet fitting and filter pack assembly to define a sodding chamber within which said graft is disposed to receive the cells from said inlet fitting and filter pack assembly into the lumen of the graft and to flow a liquid outwardly through said porous wall of the graft to said sodding chamber, said outlet fitting and check valve assembly defining an outlet flow path leading from said sodding chamber to an outlet from said sodding tube assembly, and including a check valve device disposed in said outlet flow path for preventing reflux of liquid along said flow path from said outlet toward said sodding chamber. [32.] A method of sodding cells onto the inner lumenal surface of an elongate tubular vascular graft having a porous wall, said method comprising the steps of:providing an elongate tubular shape-retaining body defining a flow path extending there along and an elongate sodding chamber therewithin;disposing the graft within and along said sodding chamber;plugging a distal end of the graft;providing a pellet of aggregated cells;flushing said pellet of aggregated cells into said elongate tubular body with a flow of liquid;subjecting said cell aggregations to a series of successively finer filtrations to prevent aggregations of cells above a determined size from reaching said graft and sodding chamber;introducing the liquid and individual cells along with aggregations of cells below said determined size into the lumen of the tubular vascular graft;flowing said fluid through the porous wall of the graft while sodding the individual cells and aggregations below said determined size onto the inner lumenal surface of the graft; andpreventing reflux of liquid along said flow path from an outlet toward said sodding chamber.