Modeling and analysis of radial flow mammalian cell culture

A model for radial flow mammalian cell culture has been developed. Two situations, one with permeable hollow fibers and the other with a porous matrix in the annulus, were considered. The hollow fibers were modeled as continuously distributed sinks. Numerical solutions are presented for the complete model as well as limiting analytical solutions. The analysis identified the importance of various kinetic, transport, and design dimensionless groups for maintenance of radial flow cell culture systems under uniform conditions. The important design parameter was the depth of the bed and the important operating parameter was a modified Damkohler number, both of which should be maintained low for gradient free systems. Dispersion was included in the analysis but substrate consumption was relatively independent of dispersion. Preliminary separation of a low-and high-molecular-weight product was also modeled, and shown to be strongly dependent on the permeability of the fibers, as well as the aspect ratio and the magnitude of the transmembrane flux.