Perfusion cultures and modelling of oxygen uptake with three-dimensional chondrocyte pellets

Chondrocyte pellets were cultivated in a perfused flow chamber and supplied with medium by a constant flow rate from a conditioning vessel. In this co nditioning vessel the medium was aerated and used medium was exchanged semi -continuously. The higher amount of DNA and glycosaminoglycane (GAG) in the se pellets compared to control cultures under stationary conditions showed a positive effect of the reactor system, compared to standard culture condi tions. A diffusion reaction model was applied to calculate the oxygen uptak e of the cell pellet and to describe the oxygen profile within the pellet. The model included diffusion within the cell pellet and oxygen uptake of th e cells. Calculated data were compared to experimental data obtained by tis sue engineered chondrocyte cell pellets. Model calculations agreed rather w ell with experimental data.