Abstract: A vessel having a mixer that ensures a homogeneous cell distribution in dispensed quantities. The vessel has a mixer therein for stirring contents of the vessel and an orifice in a lower wall to which a cell dispenser is attached. The cell dispenser dispenses quantities of suspended cells having a homogeneous cell distribution.

Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.

Abstract: A system and method for compartmentalizing micro-carriers in a bioreactor includes a container configured to store micro-carriers and a vessel configured to contain a fluid so as to prevent the micro-carriers from entering the vessel during sterilization, shipping, storage, or other pre-use handling of the system. One or more addition lines connect the container and the vessel such that the vessel is in fluid communication with the vessel. The one or more addition lines are contactable by at least one blocking element configured to reversibly block fluid flow between the container and the vessel. The container, addition lines, and vessel are configured to allow the micro-carriers to be injected into the vessel at any point during a cell culture run. The vessel may also include a rotatable wheel, a harvest port configured to allow for the removal of the micro-carriers from the vessel, and a media removal port comprising a retention screen for removing spent medium.

Abstract: A system and method for compartmentalizing micro-carriers in a bioreactor includes a container configured to store micro-carriers and a vessel configured to contain a fluid so as to prevent the micro-carriers from entering the vessel during sterilization, shipping, storage, or other pre-use handling of the system. One or more addition lines connect the container and the vessel such that the vessel is in fluid communication with the vessel. The one or more addition lines are contactable by at least one blocking element configured to reversibly block fluid flow between the container and the vessel. The container, addition lines, and vessel are configured to allow the micro-carriers to be injected into the vessel at any point during a cell culture run. The vessel may also include a rotatable wheel, a harvest port configured to allow for the removal of the micro-carriers from the vessel, and a media removal port comprising a retention screen for removing spent medium.

Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.

Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.

Abstract: A system and method for compartmentalizing micro-carriers in a bioreactor includes a container configured to store micro-carriers and a vessel configured to contain a fluid so as to prevent the micro-carriers from entering the vessel during sterilization, shipping, storage, or other pre-use handling of the system. One or more addition lines connect the container and the vessel such that the vessel is in fluid communication with the vessel. The one or more addition lines are contactable by at least one blocking element configured to reversibly block fluid flow between the container and the vessel. The container, addition lines, and vessel are configured to allow the micro-carriers to be injected into the vessel at any point during a cell culture run. The vessel may also include a rotatable wheel, a harvest port configured to allow for the removal of the micro-carriers from the vessel, and a media removal port comprising a retention screen for removing spent medium.

Abstract: An aseptic sampling system includes substantially sealed sampling lines connecting one or more sample container to a vessel containing the fluid to be sampled. A flow control system includes valves and/or clamps placed strategically along the sampling lines and filtered vent lines are provided at strategic locations relative to a reversible fluid pump in communication with the sampling lines. The clamps are selectively actuated, the vent lines are selectively opened or closed, and the pump is operated in a forward or reverse direction to permit a volume of sample fluid to be drawn from the vessel and into a sample container and to permit fluid to be purged from the sampling lines either into the sample container or back into the vessel. Thus, sampling and purging can be accomplished without opening the system to potentially contaminating agents and without wasting or having to properly dispose the fluid.

Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.

Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.

Abstract: An aseptic sampling system includes substantially sealed sampling lines connecting one or more sample container to a vessel containing the fluid to be sampled. A flow control system includes valves and/or clamps placed strategically along the sampling lines and filtered vent lines are provided at strategic locations relative to a reversible fluid pump in communication with the sampling lines. The clamps are selectively actuated, the vent lines are selectively opened or closed, and the pump is operated in a forward or reverse direction to permit a volume of sample fluid to be drawn from the vessel and into a sample container and to permit fluid to be purged from the sampling lines either into the sample container or back into the vessel. Thus, sampling and purging can be accomplished without opening the system to potentially contaminating agents and without wasting or having to properly dispose the fluid.

Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor having a containment vessel which includes a semi-cylindrical concavity defined by the vessel bottom. A mixing apparatus includes a rotational mixer rotatably mounted within the containment vessel about a horizontal axis. The rotational mixer has buoyancy-driven mixing cavities which are fed by a gas supply beneath the rotational mixer. The mixing apparatus extends into the semi-cylindrical concavity to substantially fill that concavity. The rotational mixer is divided into two wheels with outer paddles extending axially outwardly and inner paddles extending axially inwardly on either side of each wheel. Blades between the outer and inner paddles form impellers in the wheels to induce axial flow through the wheels in opposite directions. Stationary baffles fixed relative to the containment vessel are inclined toward the rotational mixer in the direction of rotation.

Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.

Abstract: A bioreactor includes a fluid containment vessel and a rotating mixing element including radial inflow elements configured to direction fluid radially inwardly of the mixing element and axial out flow elements configured to redirect the radial inward flow in an axial direction. Both the vessel and the mixing element are made from plastic and the vessel comprises a flexible bag supported by a rigid housing. In one embodiment, the mixing element is pneumatically driven by the buoyancy of gas introduced into the vessel and trapped within gas entrapment cups formed on the periphery of the mixing element. As the volumetric capacity of the bioreactor increases, the ratio of the diameter of the mixing element to the width of the vessel decreases, and a gap defined between the bottom of the mixing element and the bottom of the vessel increase.