In vitro production of blood platelets for transfusion purposes is gaining interest. While platelet production is now possible on a laboratory scale, the challenge is to move towards industrial production. Attaining this goal calls for the development of platelet release devices capable of producing large quantities of platelets. To this end, we have developed a continuous-flow platelet release device composed of five spherical chambers each containing two calibrated cones placed in a staggered configuration. Following perfusion of proplatelet-bearing cultured megakaryocytes, the device achieves a high yield of about 100 bona-fide platelets/megakaryocyte, at a flow rate of ∼80 mL/min. Performances and operating conditions comply with the requirements of large-scale platelet production. Moreover, this device enabled an in-depth analysis of the flow regimes through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This revealed two new universal parameters to be taken into account for an optimal platelet release: i.e. a periodic hydrodynamic load and a sufficient accumulation of shear stress. An efficient 16 Pa.s shear stress accumulation is obtained in our system at a flow rate of 80 mL/min.
Keywords: Cultured platelets; Flow regime; Large-scale production; Shear stress accumulation.
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