Abstract: A bioreactor for the ex vivo maintenance and growth of mammalian cells includes a disposable, self contained cell cassette, a system manager, an incubator unit matable with a plurality of the cassettes and a processor unit. The cell cassette includes a substantially circular cell growth chamber defined between a substantially planar cell bed and a gas permeable, liquid impervious membrane. A media inlet enters the cell growth chamber communicates at a radially central portion of the cell bed. A plurality of media outlets are radially outwardly spaced from the media inlet by a distance sufficient for cell growth to occur between the inlet and the outlets. The outlets are substantially equiangularly circumferentially spaced about the cell growth chamber.

Abstract: A portable cassette is disclosed, for use in receiving, maintaining and growing biological cells ex vivo without exposing the cells to the external environment. The portable cassette is used in combination with a processor instrument that facilitates an initial inoculation of the cassette with cells of the kind to be grown and to distribute those cells in a predetermined pattern (e.g., uniformly) throughout a cell growth chamber. Thereafter, the portable cassette is used in combination with an incubator instrument that incubates the cell growth chamber so that the cells are optimally expanded. The same processor instrument then is used to harvest the expanded cells from the portable cassette. Both instruments are configured to condition the portable cassette during stages of the cell growth process, without disturbing the cassette's sterile system.

Abstract: An incubator apparatus is disclosed, for conditioning a portable cassette such that biological cells contained within a cell growth chamber of the cassette are maintained and grown ex vivo, without exposing the cells to the external environment. The incubator apparatus includes first and second receptacles sized and configured to removably receive first and second casings, respectively, of the portable cassette, and it further includes first and second temperature regulators that regulate the temperatures of the respective first and second receptacles to prescribed values. In addition, the incubator apparatus includes a mechanical interface that is engaged by the portable cassette's first and second casings when they are received in their corresponding receptacles, and this mechanical interface controls the transport of growth media and a gas through the cassette's cell growth chamber, without exposing the cell growth chamber to the external environment.

Abstract: A bioreactor for the ex vivo maintenance and growth of mammalian cells includes a disposable, self contained cell cassette, a system manager, an incubator unit matable with a plurality of the cassettes and a processor unit. The cell cassette includes a substantially circular cell growth chamber defined between a substantially planar cell bed and a gas permeable, liquid impervious membrane. A media inlet enters the cell growth chamber communicates at a radially central portion of the cell bed. A plurality of media outlets are radially outwardly spaced from the media inlet by a distance sufficient for cell growth to occur between the inlet and the outlets. The outlets are substantially equiangularly circumferentially spaced about the cell growth chamber.

Abstract: Methods, including culture media conditions, which provide for in vitro human stem cell division and/or the optimization of human hematopoietic progenitor cell cultures and/or increasing the metabolism or GM-CSF secretion or IL-6 secretion of human stromal cells and/or a method for assaying the effect of a substance or condition on a human hematopoietic cell population, and/or depleting the malignant cell or T-cell and B-cell content of a human hematopoietic cell population are disclosed. The methods rely on culturing human stem cells and/or human hematopoietic progenitor cells and/or human stromal cells in a liquid culture medium which is replaced, preferably perfused, either continuously or periodically, at a rate of 1 ml of medium per ml of culture per about 24 to about 48 hour period, and removing metabolic products and replenishing depleted nutrients while maintaining the culture under physiologically acceptable conditions. Optionally, growth factors are added to the culture medium.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to the discovery of a 23 kD protein, designated herein as Queb, that has specific binding affinity for the purine base Queuine. The invention particularly relates to polypeptides having specific binding reactivity with Queuine and methods of using such polypeptides to purify Queuine and Queuine-containing substances. The invention also relates to antibodies having specific reactivity with Queuine or Queb. Methods for determining the presence and concentration of Queuine and Queb are also provided as well as methods for the diagnosis of a pathological disease or prognosis of a patient having a disease associated with Queuine, Queuine-containing substances such as Queuine-tRNA, or Queb. Kits useful for performing the methods of the present invention are also provided.

Abstract: A system for recovering heat in a pulp digesting process is disclosed. The system includes apparatus for blowing a pulp and liquid mixture from a digester to a container such as a blow tank or blow cyclone; a conduit for transferring flash vapor above a predetermined pressure, which is above atmospheric pressure, from the blow tank to a pressure accumulator; a conduit for transferring flash vapor below the predetermined pressure from the blow tank to an atmospheric accumulator.

Abstract: A method and system for recovering heat in a pulp digesting process is disclosed. The method includes the steps of blowing a pulp and liquid mixture from a digester to a container such as a blow tank or blow cyclone; transferring flash vapor above a predetermined pressure, which is above atmospheric pressure, from the blow tank to a pressure accumulator; transferring flash vapor below the predetermined pressure from the blow tank to an atmospheric accumulator; and mixing the flash vapor with a processing liquid in the pressure accumulator.

Abstract: By subjecting cells, such as red blood cells, to a hypotonic solution or a solution having a lytic agent, the cells will rapidly attain a change in volume and electrical resistance parameters, which change is measured as a function of time, for example, by a Coulter Counter.RTM. particle measuring instrument. The relationship between the change in the cell resistance or cell volume and the time of immersion in the volume changing solution provides a discriminator between a normality, different diseases, and certain inherited differences.

Abstract: A stable calibrator composition, useful in equipment for determining hematological values in blood samples, comprises a hemolysate of red blood cells which have been lysed with a dilute aqueous solution of saponin to which has been added a halophenol that has a phenol coefficient of between 20 and 90 to provide a concentration from about 1:1000 to about 1:1750 w/v of said halophenol in said hemolysate, said calibrator composition having a pH between 4 and 7. The preferred halophenol is 4-chloro-3,5-xylenol.

Abstract: A single diagnostic test reagent for use as a multiple-analysis hematology reference control for monitoring the precision and accuracy of measurements or determinations of red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet blood cell counting, hemoglobin content, hematocrit, mean cell volume and mean platelet volume determination, red cell distribution width and platelet distribution width determination, and determination of mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and thrombocytocrit. The control reagent includes ingredients for monitoring platelet parameters also notwithstanding that potential interfering effects of red blood cells normally observed in blood specimens also are present in the control reagent. The control reagent is suitable for use in automated or semi-automated hematology instruments and by users of manual methodologies.The invention includes a method of making said control reagent.

Abstract: The conjoint use of an ethoxylated phenol such as 2-phenoxyethanol, as a bacteriostatic and fungistatic agent and an alkali metal fluoride such as sodium fluoride as a stabilizer in a system used for specified hemotological reagents. Sodium fluoride is added as a counterbalancing agent to the action of 2-phenoxyethanol. A cleaning solution for electronic particle counting apparatus, a lysing reagent and an artificial plasma which can be used as a control in blood sample analysis are disclosed.

Abstract: A multi-purpose blood diluent for use in electronic enumeration of red and white blood cells and the determination of hemoglobin concentration and other classic parameters, mean cell volume and other measurements of blood cells and particles or measurements of blood cells and particles by means of particle analysis instrumentation of the Coulter type. The blood diluent is characterized as azide free, unreactive and osmotically balanced so as to be capable of affording reproducible and accurate hematological test results. The diluent employs an antibacterial agent which prevents adverse bacterial or fungi growths capable of interference with accurate counts and sodium fluoride to achieve stable conditions in red blood celll volume and aid in the complete conversion of hemoglobin in cyanmethemoglobin for hemoglobin determinations.