According to the present invention, there are provided a chamber for transplantation which has a high durability, and in which an enclosed biological constituent can be maintained for a long period of time because an interior space thereof is efficiently secured; and a method for manufacturing the chamber for transplantation. The chamber for transplantation includes one or more membranes for immunoisolation at a boundary between an inside and an outside of the chamber for transplantation, in which all of the membranes for immunoisolation include a porous membrane containing a polymer, and a joint portion at which the porous membranes are directly fusion welded to each other is provided. The method for manufacturing a chamber for transplantation includes preparing one or more porous membranes containing a polymer selected from polysulfone and polyethersulfone, bringing one part of the porous membrane into direct contact with another part of the porous membrane, and performing a heat fusion welding of the two parts that are in direct contact with each other at a temperature which is a glass transition temperature of the polymer or higher and lower than a melting point of the polymer.

An implantable containment apparatus for receiving and retaining a biological moiety or a therapeutic device within a tissue bed is disclosed. The device includes a shaping element to maintain the device in a generally toroidal configuration and to return the apparatus to that configuration after deformation. The apparatus can be placed in a host tissue with minimal trauma to the patient. Methods for implanting and using the apparatus are also disclosed.

Thin film devices, e.g., multilayer thin film devices, that encapsulate cells for transplantation into a subject are provided. Also provided are methods of using and methods of preparing the subject devices. The thin film devices include a first porous polymer layer and a second porous polymer layer that define a lumen therebetween and encapsulate a population of cells within the lumen. The thin film devices can promote vascularization into the lumen of the device via the pores in the first polymer layer and/or second polymer layer; limit foreign body response to the device; limit ingress of cells, immunoglobulins, and cytokines into the lumen via the first and the second polymer layers; and release from the first polymer layer and/or the second polymer layer molecules secreted by the population of cells.

The invention relates to a chamber (100) for encapsulating secreting cells producing at least one substance of interest, the chamber comprising: —an upper washer (120) and a bottom washer (110) configured to be oppositely placed on a side and on another side of two semi-permeable membranes (141, 142), —optionally at least one intermediate washer (130), provided between both membranes, in a plane sensibly parallel to upper and bottom washers planes and delimiting two superposed half cells spaces (S1, S2) capable of containing the secreting cells producing the at least one substance of interest, —optionally sealing means (150) the upper and the bottom washers (120, 110) being tightly clipped together, incorporating the intermediate washer (130) therebetween.

Disclosed are cell encapsulation devices and methods for transplanting cells, such as pancreatic endoderm cells, into a host. In some examples, a cell encapsulation can comprise a lumen configured to receive cells therein, a cell-excluding membrane, where the lumen is internal to the cell-excluding membrane, and a non-woven fabric layer external to the cell-excluding membrane, where the non-woven fabric layer and the cell-excluding membrane comprise perforations. The device can further comprise a woven mesh external to the non-woven fabric layer, where the non-woven fabric layer provides protection to the cell-excluding membrane from direct contact with the woven mesh.

Systems featuring two or more encapsulation devices stacked together. The encapsulation devices house cells, such as but not limited to islet cells or stem cell derived beta cells or the like. e.g., for regulating blood glucose, or other cells or spheroids that can produce and release a therapeutic agent that is useful in the body, etc. The system may feature oxygen delivery, or in some cases no exogenous oxygen is delivered and vascularization of the device can help provide oxygen and other needed nutrient to the cells. The system of the present invention may be used in conjunction with other therapies such as an artificial pancreas. Stacking the devices with blood vessel formation around and in between them may allow for a decrease in the footprint that would be needed for implantation.

System for gas treatment of cellular implants. The system enhances the viability and function of cellular implants, particularly those with high cellular density, for use in human or veterinary medicine. The system utilizes a miniaturized electrochemical gas generator subsystem that continuously supplies oxygen and/or hydrogen to cells within an implantable and immunoisolated cell containment subsystem to facilitate cell viability and function at high cellular density while minimizing overall implant size. The cell containment subsystem is equipped with features to allow gas delivery through porous tubing or gas-only permeable internal gas compartments within the implantable cell containment subsystem. Furthermore, the gas generator subsystem includes components that allow access to water for electrolysis while implanted, thereby promoting long-term implantability of the gas generator subsystem. An application of the system is a pancreatic islet (or pancreatic islet analogue) implant for treatment of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) that would be considered a bio-artificial pancreas.

Provided is a transplantation device comprising a hydrogel in which insulin-secreting cells or pancreatic islets are enclosed, wherein the hydrogel is prepared by gelatinizing an alginic acid derivative by a chemical crosslinkage. Thus, a novel transplantation device is provided.

Porous implantable devices for housing one or more therapeutic agents are disclosed herein. The implantable devices include a porous outer wall defining an interia or void. The interior void houses a carrier material carrying a first therapeutic agent. The implantable devices are made by patterning at least a portion of a polymerizable substrate into a polymerized three-dimensional porous outer wall surrounding an interior void. This can be achieved by two-photon polymerization techniques. A first therapeutic agent is then added to the interior void, which is then sealed. Methods of treating diseases using the implantable devices are disclosed herein. The methods include implanting the implantable device at a target area and locally releasing a therapeutically effective dosage of a first therapeutic agent from the interior void. The implantable devices can also be used in methods of screening potentially therapeutic agents for desired biological responses.

An implantable perfusion device (2) comprises a tubular transmission line (4) with an inlet end (6), an outlet end (8) and a flow restriction element (10) located therebetween, whereby an inlet section (12) of the transmission line is defined between the inlet end and the flow restriction element and whereby an outlet section (14) of the transmission line is defined between the flow restriction element and the outlet end. Moreover, the device comprises a perfusion chamber (16) containing a load of biologically active cells and is provided with a fluid entrance (18), a fluid exit (20) and a chamber volume (22) formed therebetween. The fluid entrance comprises at least one first microchannel platelet (24) and the fluid exit comprises at least one second microchannel platelet (26), each one of the microchannel platelets comprising at least one array of microchannels (28) defining a fluid passage between respective external and internal platelet faces, the microchannels having an opening of 0.2 to 10 μm. The fluid entrance (18) of the perfusion chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet section (12) of the transmission line; and the flow restriction element (10) is configured to establish a predetermined pressure excess in the inlet section (12) versus the outlet section (14).