Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for culturing cells by flowing a medium through a packed bed of biocompatible macroporous ceramic particles disposed in a cell-culture reactor. In one embodiment, oxygen and other nutrients in the medium are transported significantly by convective flow through pores of the biocompatible macroporous ceramic particles to cells disposed within the pores. Oxygen can be introduced to the cell-culture reactor by sparging oxygen gas into the cell-culture reactor. Oxygen content in the medium can also be increased by increasing the solubility of oxygen in the medium, such as by adding perfluorocarbon or other oxygen carriers to the medium. The oxygen capacity of the reactor can be further increased by sparging oxygen-containing gas into the medium at a plurality of points in the packed bed, or by introducing oxygen gas to the medium through a solid-phase oxygen gas-permeable membrane disposed in the packed bed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for culturing cells by flowing a medium through a packed bed of biocompatible macroporous ceramic particles disposed in a cell-culture reactor. In one embodiment, oxygen and other nutrients in the medium are transported significantly by convective flow through pores of the biocompatible macroporous ceramic particles to cells disposed within the pores. Oxygen can be introduced to the cell-culture reactor by sparging oxygen gas into the cell-culture reactor. Oxygen content in the medium can also be increased by increasing the solubility of oxygen in the medium, such as by adding perfluorocarbon or other oxygen carriers to the medium. The oxygen capacity of the reactor can be further increased by sparging oxygen-containing gas into the medium at a plurality of points in the packed bed, or by introducing oxygen gas to the medium through a solid-phase oxygen gas-permeable membrane disposed in the packed bed.