Patent attributes
The present invention provides a hepatic lobule-like bioreactor. The bioreactor includes a nanofiber scaffold enclosed within a housing. An intrahepatic fibrous vascular network, a bile capillary network, upper hepatic bile ducts, lower hepatic bile ducts, a common bile duct connecting the upper and the lower hepatic bile ducts, and collagen fibrous microchannels for hepatocytes surrounded by the bile capillary network are distributed throughout the nanofiber scaffold. Bile capillaries in the bile capillary network are provided with two or more inlet ports for biliary epithelial cells. The collagen fibrous microchannels for hepatocytes are provided with two or more inlet ports for hepatocytes. The intrahepatic vascular network is provided with a liquid inlet port and a liquid outlet port. These ports extend through the housing.
