A novel model of solute transport in a hollow-fiber bioartificial pancreas based on a finite element method
✍ Scribed by Jean-Luc Dulong; Cécile Legallais; Sylviane Darquy; Gérard Reach
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2002
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 222 KB
- Volume
- 78
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0006-3592
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Extravascular bioartificial pancreas based on hollow fiber seems to be a promising treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, solutes mass‐transport limitations in such a device could explain its lack of success. To determine critical device parameters, we have developed a novel tridimensional model based on finite element method for glucose, insulin, and oxygen diffusion around an islet of Langerhans encapsulated in a hollow‐fiber section. A glucose ramp stimulation was applied outside the fiber and diffused to the islet. Concomitantly, a stationary oxygen partial pressure was applied outside the fiber, and determined local oxygen partial pressure on the islet environment. An insulin secretion model stimulated by a glucose concentration ramp and corrected by the local oxygen partial pressure was also implemented. Insulin secretion by the islet was thus computed as a response to glucose signal. The model predictions notably showed that the fiber radius had to be small enough to favor a fast response for insulin secretion and to ensure a maximal oxygen partial pressure in the islet environment. Besides the effect of fiber radius, a better islet oxygenation could be achieved by adjustments on the islet density, i.e., on the fiber length dedicated to a single islet. These hints should allow the future proposal of an optimal design for an implantable bioartificial pancreas. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 78: 576–582, 2002.