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 6:
7. An in vitro model of an in vivo gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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 first plurality of fermentation vessels, comprising:
an in vitro duodenum model including
a first fermentation vessel in fluid communication with the inlet port through a first fluid conduit configured to supply the mixture of a food product and gastric effluent into the first fermentation vessel of the first plurality of fermentation vessels and including a first agitator connected to a first motor configured to move the first agitator to mix contents of the first fermentation vessel,
a source of bile acids in fluid communication with the first fermentation vessel through a second fluid conduit including a first pump configured to supply bile acids into the first fermentation vessel,
a source of sodium bicarbonate in fluid communication with the first fermentation vessel through a third fluid conduit including a second pump configured to supply sodium bicarbonate into the first fermentation vessel, and
a source of duodenal enzymes in fluid communication with the first fermentation vessel through a fourth fluid conduit including a third pump configured to supply duodenal enzymes into the first fermentation vessel;

an in vitro jejunum model including
a second fermentation vessel of the first plurality of fermentation vessels in fluid communication with the first fermentation vessel through a fifth fluid conduit including a fourth pump configured to supply a portion of the contents of the first fermentation vessel to the second fermentation vessel, the second fermentation vessel including jejunum diluent, growth medium, and a mock community of aerobic and aerotolerant microorganisms disposed therein and a second agitator connected to a second motor configured to move the second agitator to mix contents of the second fermentation vessel,

a first membrane unit in fluid communication with the second fermentation vessel and configured to extract nutrients from the contents of the second fermentation vessel that pass there through and include a first membrane unit inlet, a first membrane unit outlet and a first membrane unit exit port through which the extracted nutrients exit the first membrane unit,
a sixth fluid conduit including a fifth pump connected between the second fermentation vessel and the first membrane unit inlet and configured to supply a portion of the contents of the second fermentation vessel to the first membrane unit and
a seventh fluid conduit connected between the first membrane unit outlet and the second fermentation vessel and configured to return the contents of the second fermentation vessel that are not extracted by the first membrane unit to the second fermentation vessel; and
an in vitro ileum model including
a third fermentation vessel of the first plurality of fermentation vessels in fluid communication with the second fermentation vessel through an eighth fluid conduit including a sixth pump configured to supply a portion of the contents of the second fermentation vessel to the third fermentation vessel, the third fermentation vessel including ileum diluent, growth medium and a mock community of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms disposed therein and a third agitator connected to a third motor configured to move the third agitator to mix contents of the third fermentation vessel,
a second membrane unit in fluid communication with the third vessel and configured to extract nutrients from the contents of the third fermentation vessel that pass there through and include a second membrane unit inlet, a second membrane unit outlet and a second membrane unit exit port through which the extracted nutrients exit the second membrane unit,
a ninth fluid conduit including a seventh pump connected between the third fermentation vessel and the second membrane unit inlet and configured to supply a portion of the contents of the third fermentation vessel to the second membrane unit and
a tenth fluid conduit connected between the second membrane unit outlet and the third fermentation vessel and configured to return the contents of the third fermentation vessel that are not extracted by the second membrane unit to the third fermentation vessel; and

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 a fourth fermentation vessel of the second plurality of fermentation vessels in fluid communication with the third fermentation vessel through an eleventh fluid conduit including an eighth pump configured to supply a portion of the contents of the third fermentation vessel to the fourth fermentation vessel, the fourth fermentation vessel including growth medium and a mock community of anerobic microorganisms disposed therein at a pH of about 5.5 and a fourth agitator connected to a fourth motor configured to move the fourth agitator to mix contents of the fourth fermentation vessel;
an in vitro transverse portion model including a fifth fermentation vessel of the second plurality of fermentation vessels in fluid communication with the fourth fermentation vessel through an twelfth fluid conduit including an ninth pump configured to supply a portion of the contents of the fourth fermentation vessel to the fifth fermentation vessel, the fifth fermentation vessel including growth medium and a mock community of anerobic microorganisms disposed therein at a pH of about 6.2 and a fifth agitator connected to a fifth motor configured to move the fifth agitator to mix contents of the fifth fermentation vessel; and
an in vitro descending portion model including sixth fermentation vessel of the second plurality of fermentation vessels in fluid communication with the fifth fermentation vessel through an thirteenth fluid conduit including a tenth pump configured to supply a portion of the contents of the fifth fermentation vessel to the sixth fermentation vessel, the sixth fermentation vessel including growth medium and a mock community of anerobic microorganisms disposed therein at a pH of about 6.8 and a sixth agitator connected to a sixth motor configured to move the sixth agitator to mix contents of the sixth fermentation vessel; and, a controller configured to:
selectively at least one of start, stop and regulate the flow there through of each of the fourth pump, sixth pump, eighth pump, ninth pump and tenth pump; and
selectively at least one of start, stop and regulate the speed of each of the first motor, second motor, third motor, fourth motor, fifth motor and sixth motor.