• KSBB Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2001

Recently hepatocyte-based bioartificial liver (BAL) and hepatocyte transplantation have been actively investigated to treat acute hepatic failure. The BAL acts as a bridge to provide patients with more time until a donor organ becomes available for transplantation or until their own liver can be regenerated. In this study, we manufactured a polyurethane foam (PUF) using 15% NCO-prepolymer with a pore opening that allows it to be used as a hepatocyte immobilizing material. Cubes of PUF (3 mm dim.) were seeded with rat primary hepatocytes at a density of 5.5$\pm$1.1$\times$ $10^6$ cells/$cm^3$ PUF by centrifuging them together. The cell laden PUF cubes were packed into a prototype reactor and perfused with a hormonally defined medium for a week. Hepatocytes in the pores of the PUF formed spheroids that showed stable ammonia removal and urea synthesis activities. The albumin production level was comparable to other BAL systems. The PUF packed hepatocyte bioreactor has the potential to be used as a BAL.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2005

Aqueous mixtures of hyaluronic acid and poly(vinyl alcohol) system and hydrogels thereof were introduced to obtain new bioartificial materials that have excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility and enhanced rheological properties. The interactions between hyaluronic acid and poly(vinyl alcohol) and/or borax were investigated by rheological measurements. Preparation parameters of the aqueous mixtures were mixture composition, the degree of hydrolysis of poly(vinyl alcohol) and borax concentration. From the rheological behavior, it could be deduced that the key factor of the interaction between hyaluronic acid and poly(vinyl alcohol) was the hydrogen bonding between them and the effect was pronounced with borax. Enhanced viscosity was observed at the composition of $20wt\%$ of hyaluronic acid solution and $80wt\%$ of poly(vinyl alcohol) and borax solution. Rheological properties were influenced by the degree of hydrolysis of poly(vinyl alcohol) and borax concentration. As the degree of hydrolysis and borax concentration increased, rheological properties increased due to the increased hydrogen bonding and networking of hyaluronate aggregates. Physical hydrogels from hyaluronic acid and poly(vinyl alcohol) were prepared and the composition dependence of the gels was rheologically investigated as well.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 2015

In this study, a basic research on artificial liver was performed for its application to people on the waiting list of liver transplant or patients with hepatic insufficiency. Artificial livers are generally classified into mechanic type, bioartificial type, and hybrid type. An extracorporeal circulation device was examined herein, which is indispensable in the application of an artificial liver, for its effectiveness in supporting the recovery of liver functions. Extracorporeal circulation system is a treatment and life-support system which sends out the patient's blood, removes toxicity by various methods, and then sends the blood back to the interior of the body. This study used an extracorporeal circulation system which enables the Plasma Perfusion by CVVH method, and applied the program of Bioateco corp. Animals with acute hepatic insufficiency were produced to apply the extracorporeal circulation device. As a result, their ammonia, bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT, and bile acid levels rose, confirming the liver function restoration in the experimental animals.