Abstract: A cell culture apparatus includes one or more plates having a first major surface and an opposing second major surface. The first major surface comprises a structured surface defining a plurality of wells. Each well has an interior surface defining an upper aperture and a nadir, wherein the upper aperture of each well has a diametric dimension in a range from 100 micrometers to 2000 micrometers. The apparatus also includes a plurality of spacers extending from the first major surface along a length of the bottom surface. A plurality of flow channels are defined between adjacent rails.

Abstract: Among other things, the present invention is related to devices and methods of performing biological and chemical assays, particularly an easy sample manipulation and/or a rapid change or a rapid thermal cycling of a sample temperature is needed (e.g. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for amplifying nucleic acids).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cell harvesting instrument suitable for concentrating cells from a source suspension of cells and/or washing said cells, the instrument comprising: a housing for accommodating mechanical elements including at least one fluid pump, at least one valve; and a processing kit removably insertable into the housing, said kit including a generally flat frame having or supporting plural sealed fluid paths arranged in a generally flat plane and such that fluids in the paths do not contact said mechanical elements, wherein at least portions of the fluid paths comprise flexible tubes, the outer surfaces of which are manipulateable by the or each fluid pump, to provide fluid flow in one or more of the paths and/or by the or each valve to restrict fluid flow in one or more of the paths. In an embodiment, the kit comprises also a fluid processing reservoir and a filter suitable for separating cells from fluid in said paths.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic microfluidic platform for high-throughput studies of cardiac hypertrophy that enables repetitive (hundreds of thousands of times) and robust (over several weeks) manipulation of cardiac ?tissues. The platform is reusable for stable and reproducible mechanical stimulation of cardiac ?tissues (each containing only 500 cells). Heterotypic and homotypic ?tissues produced in the device were pneumatically loaded in a range of regimes, with real-time on-chip analysis of tissue phenotypes. Concentrated loading of the three-dimensional cardiac tissue faithfully recapitulated the pathology of volume overload seen in native heart tissue. Sustained volume overload of ?tissues was sufficient to induce pathological cardiac remodeling associated with upregulation of the fetal gene program, in a dose-dependent manner.

Abstract: A cell culture apparatus includes one or more plates having a first major surface and an opposing second major surface. The first major surface comprises a structured surface defining a plurality of wells. Each well has an interior surface defining an upper aperture and a nadir, wherein the upper aperture of each well has a diametric dimension in a range from 100 micrometers to 2000 micrometers. The apparatus also includes a plurality of spacers extending from the first major surface along a length of the bottom surface. A plurality of flow channels are defined between adjacent rails.

Abstract: A fluid supply interface includes at least one supply coupling configuration, at least one discharge coupling configuration, at least one user coupling configuration, and a fluid conduit that connects the supply, discharge, and user coupling configurations to one another. A supply valve is capable of having fluid flow through it or is blocked for flow through it. A discharge valve is capable of having fluid flow through it or is blocked for flow through it. The supply valve is preloaded into a blocking position that prevents flow, and opens by means of a sufficiently large pressure difference between the two sides of the supply valve, against the preload force, for flow through in a direction from the supply coupling configuration toward the fluid conduit. The discharge valve likewise being preloaded into a closed position that prevents flow through it.

Abstract: A cell culture insert with a hollow cylindrical housing having an upper end-face opening delimited by an opening edge and a lower end-face base designed as a membrane, support feet being arranged on the base edge of the housing and/or on the base and at least one support arm. The legs protrude downward for supporting the housing on a support in a non-tipping manner with a small uniform spacing between the base and the support. The at least one support arm protrudes outwards at the opening edge and can be placed on an edge of a well plate in which a plurality of wells. The support arm is an edge hanging element, and for this purpose, has a support section that runs radially relative to the housing and a hanging section that runs from the support section downwards in the direction of the base of the housing.

Abstract: The invention discloses a bioreactor with a vessel defining an inner volume, agitation means and at least one addition tube, wherein a delivery orifice in the addition tube is located within the inner volume and a check valve is arranged in proximity of the delivery orifice for allowing flow of a fluid in the direction from the addition tube into the inner volume of the vessel and blocking flow in the reverse direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bioreactor assembly comprising a plurality of trays (30) for holding a cell culture bag, a holder (2) on which the trays are mounted side by side to form a first series of trays rocking mechanism (4) for rocking the trays, the rocking mechanism (4) being operatively connected to each of the trays (30). The invention also relates to a bioreactor system (100) comprising at least one bioreactor assembly.

Abstract: A system, configured to facilitate processing and detection of nucleic acids, the system comprising a process fluid container and a cartridge comprising: a top layer, a set of sample port-reagent port pairs, a shared fluid port, a vent region, a heating region, and a set of detection chambers; an intermediate substrate, coupled to the top layer comprising a waste chamber; an elastomeric layer, partially situated on the intermediate substrate; and a set of fluidic pathways, each formed by at least a portion of the top layer and a portion of the elastomeric layer, wherein each fluidic pathway is fluidically coupled to a sample port-reagent port pair, the shared fluid port, and a detection chamber, comprises a portion passing through the heating region, and is configured to be occluded upon deformation of the elastomeric layer, to transfer a waste fluid to the waste chamber, and to pass through the vent region.

Abstract: A bench top incubator is described. The bench top incubator includes a first tray stack designed to retain microscope slides in a plurality of slide trays and a second tray stack designed to retain multi-well plates in a plurality of plate trays. The incubator is relatively simple and small in design and can be conveniently located to carry out temperature processing of biological samples such as fixed cells and tissues, biological fluids, and so forth.

Abstract: A reaction processor is provided with a reaction processing vessel having a channel, a liquid feeding system, a temperature control system, and a fluorescence detector, and a CPU for controlling the liquid feeding system. When a sample moves from a low temperature region to a high temperature region, the CPU instructs the liquid feeding system to stop the sample when a predetermined first waiting time has passed from the time when the passage of the sample through a fluorescence detection region is detected by the fluorescence detector. When the sample moves from the high temperature region to the low temperature region, the CPU instructs the liquid feeding system to stop the sample when a predetermined second waiting time, which is set independently of the first waiting time, has passed from the time when the passage of the sample through the fluorescence detection region is detected by the fluorescence detector.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices configured for the amplification and detection of multiple targets from a sample, and methods of using the same. The devices disclosed herein comprise microfluidic cartridges have a first stage (amplification) and a second (detection) stage. The two-stage design of the cartridges enables testing for multiple targets within a sample, i.e., from a single nucleic acid amplification reaction. Methods for the amplification and detection of a plurality of target nucleic acids from a sample are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A petri dish has interlock features between the lid and dish that allow single-handed engagement of the lid with the dish by rotation, so that the lid and dish may be raised by grasping only the lid without stabilization of the dish with a second hand. Disengagement is similarly single-handed.

Abstract: A gas supply device for operation in an incubator allowing treatment of a culture within a shaker flask with gas independently of the composition and humidity of the gas atmosphere within the incubator individually supplies each shaker flask of the incubator with gas using a gas supply clamp detachably connected to the closure cap of each flask. The gas supply clamp has at least two elastic clamping jaws and a web connecting the clamping jaws to one another. The clamping jaws exert a clamping force on the side wall of the closure cap. The clamp is held in place by the elastic clamping jaws. Above a sterile filter in the closure cap, an individual gas atmosphere for treatment of the culture in the shaker flask is produced in a recess of the web above a gas passage in the closure cap.

Abstract: Optical systems and apparatuses configured for enabling substantially simultaneous observation of a plurality of points in an array from a common reference point. Without the optical systems and apparatuses disclosed herein, less than all of the plurality of points can be observed substantially simultaneously from the common reference point.

Abstract: Provided is a culture device, including: a culture tank (110) configured to store an object liquid that is a culture solution having suspended therein an object; a screen (210) made of a metal, the screen including a main body (212) and a plurality of through holes (214) passing through the main body from a front surface (212a) thereof to a back surface (212b) thereof; a spray portion (220) configured to spray the object liquid stored in the culture tank onto the front surface of the body; an accommodation portion (240) surrounding the back surface of the main body and configured to accommodate the culture solution having passed through the through holes; a UV light irradiation portion (250) arranged in the accommodation portion and configured to radiate UV light; and a return portion (290) configured to return the culture solution in the accommodation portion to the culture tank.

Abstract: A reaction container including a transparent base having a first surface having at least one region where recessed portions are formed and recessed from the first surface, and a cover member positioned such that the cover member forms a gap from the first surface inside the region and is welded to the transparent base outside the region. The cover member absorbs infrared light and transmits light having a wavelength within a range of visible light.

Abstract: A cell culture container includes a container main body comprising a gas-permeable plastic film, and an injection/discharge port. A peripheral portion of the container main body is sealed, and the container main body has a bulging shape on a top surface side of the container main body. A plurality of concave portions serving as cell culture parts are provided on a bottom surface of the container main body.

Abstract: The present invention relates in part to devices, systems, and methods for the production and characterization of engineered tissue constructs. The devices and methods generate decellularized tissue constructs that can be recellularized using donor cells for high-throughput studies of organ physiology, and/or organ pathology. The devices and methods can be used with the systems to mechanically and electrically stimulate the engineered tissue constructs under culture or physiological conditions to detect and assess the presence and degree of any organ pathologies.