Ex Ante publicatie voornemen tot gunning zonder voorafgaande bekendmaking mechanical stimulation system

The bioreactor 1) operates on a biaxial revolution on 2 independent orthogonal axes (spin and tumble simultaneously); 2) has flexible operational modes available (biaxial, uniaxial, swing modes) with integrated local force sensors; 3) provides efficient fluid transport within the 3D scaffolds, allowing optimal nutrients and waste exchange to and from the cells, penetrating the deepest core of the scaffolds; and 4) creates a biaxial flow regime reducing drag and promoting uniform fluid mixing. The bioreactor has sensing capabilities to measure the applied mechanical forces. The bi-axial rotatory movements of the bioreactor also offer an excellent dynamic culturing platform that mimics the biophysical microenvironment in terms of natural fluid shear stresses as experienced in the tumbling of the fetal rotation in the mother’s womb, which may improve tissue functionality. The uniqueness of this system is that it allows the stimulation of cells in all mechanical modalities possible, namely in tension/compression, shear, bending, and torsion. There is no other product in the market that allows that, as most of the mechanical bioreactors allows either tension/compression or shear modalities. The mechanical stimulation system is essential as the ERC-MECCANO project is founded entirely around the hypothesis that stem cell differentiation can be controlled through programmed and modulated mechanical stimulation during culture. The specific system offered by Cintechco doesn’t exist, is specifically designed and engineered for the project and able to provide mechanical stimulation in all modalities (tension/compression, bending, shear, torsion), which are to be tested through the duration of the project. The mechanical bioreactor builds on top of the bi-axial rotatory movements that mimic the biophysical microenvironment in terms of natural fluid shear stresses as experienced in the tumbling of the fetal rotation in the mother’s womb. This biophysical rotational system is a product already developed by Cintechco. No other companies on the market are able to produce bioreactors with these features. Building on top of this system the mechanical stimulation modalities above mentioned makes the bioreactor only achievable by Cintechco. There are several other companies that provide mechanical bioreactors, but none of them provide a system that can be actuated through all the mechanical stimulation modalities that will be encompassed in the system by Cintechco. Examples of other companies in the mechanical bioreactor are known by Maastricht University. All these companies provide a bioreactor with embedded 1-2 mechanical stimulation modalities at max, not all of them in the same system.

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