Production and characterization of alginate microcapsules produced by a vibrational encapsulation device

J Biomater Appl. 2008 Sep;23(2):123-45. doi: 10.1177/0885328207084958. Epub 2008 May 8.

Abstract

The optimization, through a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach, of a microencapsulation procedure for isolated neonatal porcine islets (NPI) is described. The applied method is based on the generation of monodisperse droplets by a vibrational nozzle. An alginate/polyornithine encapsulation procedure, developed and validated in our laboratory for almost a decade, was used to embody pancreatic islets. We analyzed different experimental parameters including frequency of vibration, amplitude of vibration, polymer pumping rate, and distance between the nozzle and the gelling bath. We produced calcium-alginate gel microbeads with excellent morphological characteristics as well as a very narrow size distribution. The automatically produced microcapsules did not alter morphology, viability and functional properties of the enveloped NPI. The optimization of this automatic procedure may provide a novel approach to obtain a large number of batches possibly suitable for large scale production of immunoisolated NPI for in vivo cell transplantation procedures in humans.

MeSH terms

  • Alginates / chemistry*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry*
  • Capsules
  • Cell Culture Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods
  • Cell Survival
  • Cell Transplantation / instrumentation
  • Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Glucuronic Acid / chemistry
  • Hexuronic Acids / chemistry
  • Islets of Langerhans / cytology*
  • Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / instrumentation
  • Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / methods*
  • Materials Testing
  • Rabbits
  • Swine
  • Vibration

Substances

  • Alginates
  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Capsules
  • Hexuronic Acids
  • Glucuronic Acid