Patent ID: 8030058
Filing Date: 2011-10-04
Classification: C12M

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for isolating islets from a pancreatic tissue, comprising: a heated feed tank; a reactor for containing a physiologic process solution having a dissolved oxygen concentration, an antibiotic concentration, a pH, a temperature, and a flowrate said reactor comprising a flow loop that connects a digestion chamber, a sparging vessel and a process pump, said flow loop being connected through a first valve to said heated feed tank, said process pump being operative to circulate said physiologic process solution through said reactor; a process controller; a sensor block that is located on said flow loop upstream from said digestion chamber, said sensor block having a plurality of sensors that send signals to said process controller, said sensor block comprising a dissolved oxygen sensor for sensing said dissolved oxygen concentration, an antibiotic sensor for sensing said antibiotic concentration, a pH sensor for sensing said pH, a temperature sensor for sensing said temperature, and a flow sensor for sensing said flowrate; a source of oxygen gas controlled by a oxygen gas valve for introducing a stream of oxygen gas into said sparging vessel, a source of antibiotic controlled by a pump for introducing antibiotic into the process, and a source of an inert gas controlled by an inert gas valve for introducing a stream of inert gas into said sparging vessel; an auto-collector that is connected to said flow loop for collecting the islets; an integrated flow-through sample cell for monitoring the extent of pancreatic digestion and islet separation in real-time; a proteolytic process controller which deactivates proteolytic enzyme activity and ends digestion by adding an effective amount of an antibiotic in response to a signal derived from said flow through sample cell; and wherein said process controller compares the dissolved oxygen concentration in said physiologic process solution to a dissolved oxygen setpoint and activate either said oxygen gas valve to add dissolved oxygen or said inert gas valve to remove dissolved oxygen, to compare said antibiotic concentration setpoint and activate control of antibiotic concentration, compares said pH to a pH setpoint and activate either said acid solution pump to reduce said pH or said base solution pump to increase said pH, compares said temperature to a temperature setpoint and to activate either said process cooler to decrease said temperature or said process heater to increase said temperature, and compares said flowrate to a flowrate setpoint and control said flowrate.