FIG. 6.

Photographs of the surgical procedure for transplantation of islets encapsulated in HA-COL hydrogel. Islets were encapsulated and transplanted into the rat omentum by following a novel three-step protocol. (A) The omentum was first exteriorized, and a base layer of gel was applied and allowed to cross-link. (B) Islets, suspended in an HA-COL precursor solution, were applied along large blood vessels for optimum nutrient exchange and the gel solution was allowed to solidify. (C) The omentum was then rolled up and sutured to the stomach wall to minimize disturbance of the islet graft.