Patent ID: 11859214
Assignee: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC C  G | IPC C  G

Claim 10:
11. A method of simulating a biotransformation of food product through the human digestive tract using an in vitro model of an in vivo gastrointestinal tract, wherein the in vitro model of an in vivo gastrointestinal tract, comprises:
an inlet port of conduit for the introduction of a mixture of a food product and gastric effluent;
an in vitro model of an in vivo small intestine including a plurality of fermentation vessels, comprising:
an in vitro duodenum model including at least one fermentation vessel of the first plurality of fermentation vessels having bile acids, sodium bicarbonate and duodenal enzyme disposed therein;
an in vitro jejunum model including at least one fermentation vessel of the first plurality of fermentation vessels having jejunum diluent, growth medium and a mock community of aerobic and aerotolerant microorganisms disposed therein; and
an in vitro ileum model including at least one fermentation vessel of the first plurality of fermentation vessels having ileum diluent, growth medium and a mock community of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms disposed therein;
an in vitro model of an in vivo large intestine including a second plurality of fermentation vessels, comprising:
an in vitro ascending portion model including at least one fermentation vessel of the second plurality of fermentation vessels having growth medium and a mock community of anerobic microorganisms disposed therein at a pH of about 5.5;
an in vitro transverse portion model including at least one fermentation vessel of the second plurality of fermentation vessels having growth medium and a mock community of anerobic microorganisms disposed therein at a pH of about 6.2;
an in vitro descending portion model including at least one fermentation vessel of the second plurality of fermentation vessels having growth medium and a mock community of anerobic microorganisms disposed therein at a pH of about 6.8; and

a first membrane unit in fluid communication with the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro jejunum model and a second membrane unit in fluid communication with the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro ileum model, the first and second membrane units configured to extract nutrients from the respective contents of the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro jejunum model and the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro ileum model that pass there through, each of the first and second membrane units including a port to remove the nutrients extracted from the respective first and second membrane units,
the method comprising:
mixing the food product and gastric effluent to form a first mixture;
adding the first mixture to the bile acids, sodium bicarbonate and duodenal enzyme in the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro duodenum model including to form a second mixture;
adding a portion of the second mixture to the jejunum diluent, growth medium and mock community of aerobic and aerotolerant microorganisms in the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro jejunum model to form a third mixture;
adding a portion of the third mixture to the ileum diluent, growth medium and mock community of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms in the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro ileum model to form a fourth mixture;
adding a portion of the fourth mixture to the growth medium and mock community of anerobic microorganisms in the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro ascending portion model to form a fifth mixture;
adding a portion of the fifth mixture to the growth medium and mock community of anerobic microorganisms in the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro ascending portion model to form a sixth mixture;
adding a portion of the sixth mixture to the growth medium and mock community of anerobic microorganisms in the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro descending portion model to form a seventh mixture; and
removing a portion of the seventh mixture from the at least one fermentation vessel of the in vitro descending portion model, and
collecting at least one sample of one of the first and second membrane units and analyzing the at least one sample.