Patent ID: 8889403

Claim:
A system for generating a tissue construct comprising: a bioreactor, the bioreactor comprising: a mixing chamber configured to receive a hydrogel solution and a cell suspension solution; a piston chamber including a first piston, wherein the piston chamber is configured to receive a mixture of the hydrogel solution and the cell suspension solution from the mixing chamber, and wherein the first piston is configured to push the mixture through one or more capillaries into a reaction chamber; the reaction chamber configured to receive the mixture and a cross-linking initiator; a membrane that separates the piston chamber from the reaction chamber, wherein the membrane only allows unidirectional flow from the piston chamber to the reaction chamber so that a new mixture can be introduced into the piston chamber after the mixture is pushed into the reaction chamber; and a pump configured to move the mixture through the reaction chamber such that the mixture and the cross-linking initiator combine to form an encapsulated cell material.