FIG. 6.

Connecting the biaxial bioreactor to the flow system and linear motor. One week after cell seeding, opaque extracellular matrix (ECM) started to be deposited onto PGA scaffolds of TEVs. The flow system is connected to the bioreactor by attaching connecting tubes to designated connector arms. Pink and purple highlights mark the connection locations for uniaxial and biaxial TEVs, respectively. The bioreactor is then connected to the linear motor by attaching the axially movable connector to the moving stage. The surface of the moving stage is prescrewed with multiple holes. A screw is used to secure the axially movable connector to the moving stage through one of those holes. Arrows indicate the direction of PBS flow. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tec