Pulsatile Flow Bioreactor
Pulsatile Flow Bioreactor - Related Videos
11:22
Engineering Biological-Based Vascular Grafts Using a Pulsatile Bioreactor
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Cited by 32 •
2011
Our group has developed a bioreactor culture system that mimics the physiological pulsatile stresses of the cardiovascular system to regenerate implantable small-diameter vascular grafts.
10:02
Characterization of the Isolated, Ventilated, and Instrumented Mouse Lung Perfused with Pulsatile Flow
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Cited by 12 •
2011
The following protocol outlines the process of isolating, ventilating and instrumenting mouse lungs to measure steady or pulsatile pulmonary vascular pressure-flow relationships in order to quantify the effects of blood flow, airflow, airway changes and vascular changes on right ventricular afterload.
12:54
Operation of a Benchtop Bioreactor
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Cited by 9 •
2013
Fermentors are used to increase culture yield and productivity of bioengineered cells. After screening multiple microbial or animal cell culture candidates in shake flasks, the next logical step is to increase the selected culture’s biomass with the fermentor. This video demonstrates the setup and operation of a typical benchtop bioreactor system.
09:40
Batch and Continuous Bioreactors
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2023
Bioreactors are used to grow organisms in large volumes, thereby enabling the production of mass quantities of the target product. These reactors can be batch reactors, which contain all of the components needed for cell growth, or continuous reactors, which have inlet and outlet ports allowing for the addition of fresh growth media and the removal of cell waste. This video presents batch and continuous reactors and demonstrates the use of bioreactors to grow bacteria in the laboratory.
08:13
A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
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Cited by 8 •
2015
A novel reactor design, coined a high density bioreactor (HDBR), is presented for the cultivation and study of high density microbial communities. Here, the HDBR is successfully applied in a photobioreactor (PBR) configuration for the study of nitrogen metabolism by a mixed high density algal community.
FAQs
Periodic changes in flow rate or pressure produce fluctuating mechanical and transport conditions rather than a constant fluid environment. These changes alter shear stress, pressure exposure, and nutrient movement around the cultured cells. As a result, cells may attach, grow, align, and develop functions in ways that reflect the dynamic cues present in living tissues.
The pump or actuator generates the repeating fluid pulses that define the operating pattern of the bioreactor. By producing changes in flow rate or pressure, this component establishes the mechanical environment experienced by the culture. Its action therefore links the programmed fluid dynamics to cellular responses and to the performance of the engineered construct.
Steady flow provides a relatively constant mechanical environment, whereas pulsatile flow introduces recurring changes that more closely resemble conditions in living tissues. This distinction matters because cells respond to shear stress, pressure fluctuations, and nutrient transport. Including these changing cues can promote tissue maturation and provide a more realistic basis for evaluating engineered constructs.
The combined effects of fluctuating shear stress, pressure, and nutrient transport can influence several stages of cell behavior. They may affect how cells attach to a construct, how they grow, whether they align with the flow environment, and how they function. These responses help indicate whether the culture is adapting to mechanically relevant conditions.
A typical setup places the cell-containing culture within a controlled fluid pathway, then uses a pump or actuator to generate repeating changes in flow rate or pressure. The culture is exposed to these dynamic conditions while the resulting cellular behavior and construct performance are assessed. This sequence connects controlled mechanical stimulation with bioengineering outcomes.
Researchers may select a Pulsatile Flow Bioreactor when a vascular graft must be developed or tested under mechanically dynamic conditions. The system supplies changing flow-related cues that can influence cell attachment, growth, alignment, and function. These responses help assess whether the graft construct behaves appropriately when exposed to conditions that better represent living tissue.
Dynamic fluid stimulation can provide mechanical cues that steady culture conditions do not reproduce as closely. In an engineered tissue construct, recurring changes in flow or pressure influence shear stress and nutrient transport, which may support more advanced cellular organization and function. The resulting maturation can improve assessment of construct performance under realistic conditions.
This system can help researchers examine how engineered tissues, vascular grafts, and cell-based models respond to controlled mechanical stimulation. Outcomes include changes in cell attachment, growth, alignment, and function, along with broader evidence of tissue maturation. Such observations support evaluation of whether a construct performs under dynamic conditions resembling those found in living tissues.