Quantitative Modeling of Limitations Caused by Diffusion

Transport of nutrients and metabolites in many bioartificial tissue constructs relies exclusively on diffusion, i.e., on the presence of a concentration gradient between the inside of the construct and the surrounding milieu. A quantitative evaluation of the rate of diffusional processes is thus essential for properly designing three-dimensional cell-polymer systems, and for assessing the chemical environment at various locales within the construct.