Patent ID: 11879119
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
Field: Biotechnology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  A | IPC A  C

Claim 0:
1. A bioreactor system, comprising a plurality of cylindrical well-plate inserts positioned inside wells of a well-plate, each insert having a top opening, a bottom opening, and a cylindrical wall,
wherein each insert is divided into at least one printing well and at least one collection chamber,
wherein the printing well is filled with a three-dimensional (3D) cell growth medium that comprises a plurality of hydrogel particles and a liquid cell culture medium, wherein the hydrogel particles are swelled with the liquid cell culture medium to form a granular gel,
wherein the printing well is configured to provide unencumbered access to the 3D cell growth medium for 3D printing,
wherein the collection chamber is filled with an absorbant material that is separated from the well of the well-plate by a filter material,
wherein the absorbant material establishes an osmotic pressure gradient that draws the liquid cell culture medium from the well of the well-plate where the liquid cell culture medium permeates the 3D cell growth medium, through the filter material, and finally into the absorbant material of the collection chamber, and
wherein the filter material has a porosity smaller than the size of the swollen hydrogel particles.