Abstract: The invention concerns a cell culture harvesting device consisting of a scraper head with a blade and a guide strip, the scraper head and the guide strip being connected with one another only by magnetic attraction. The magnetic attraction is achieved by the fact that one of the ends of the scraper head and the guide strip which are turned toward one another have a magnet and the other has either a magnet or a material which can be magnetized by the magnet of the respective counterpart. In this way, the scraper head and the guide strip can be moved synchronously and in parallel at a distance from one another. This has the advantage that the scraper head can be placed into the cell culture vessel before a cell culture is started and can be sterilized together with it thereby eliminating the risk of contamination due to a cell culture harvesting device later being placed into the cell culture vessel.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods and apparatus for collecting and preparing stored blood that minimizes handling and manipulation of blood bags to thereby reduce the contamination risk. In particular, the invention is directed to methods and apparatus wherein at least one sterilely packed blood bag is provided in a packaging apparatus that supports the blood bag during filling and also serves as the transport container for the blood bag. The packaging apparatus comprises a sterile package for at least one blood bag and has a completely enclosed interior space to hold the blood bag and a closure element used to open up the interior space. The interior space has a volume of at least 500 ml or can be expanded to at least 500 ml by applying an internal pressure directed outwards from the interior space and the interior space can be closed by the closure element. Preferably, the packaging apparatus also serves as a support during centrifugation of the collected blood.

Abstract: The method relates to the co-culturing of two cell cultures in two cell culture chambers such that the cellular products produced by the co-cultured cells are exchanged between the two cell culture chambers. The apparatus for culturing the cells contains two cell culture chambers separated by a microfiltration membrane which is permeable to medium, gases, and cellular products, and is impermeable to cells. A culture medium supply chamber is adjacent to and separated from the first cell culture chamber by a dialysis membrane which is permeable to medium and gases. The exterior portion of the second cell culture contains a gas-exchange membrane which allows gas exchange between the apparatus and the environment. The apparatus can be in a modular form where the first and second cell culture chambers form one module which is detachable from the culture medium supply chamber which forms the second module.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a system for closing cylindrical containers, such as Petri dishes, for example, with a cover cap whose cover apron presses against the outer surface of the lateral wall of the container. In particular, the present invention provides a cylindrical container and cover system having a simple and convenient, yet secure, closing and opening mechanism which consists of as few individual parts as possible. The cover cap of the present invention has individual elevations on the inner surface of the cover apron. The elevations press against the outer surface of the container walls to hold it in a non-positive manner. The elevations are made as knobs or elongated struts, and are arranged on opposite circular sections of the cover apron in such a way that at least two opposite sections of at least 130.degree. of the periphery of the cover apron have no elevations. In accord with the invention, a simple mechanism for removing the cover cap from the container is also provided.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to attain optimal gas exchange, nutrient supply and disposal of metabolic waste products without contamination during high-density cell cultivation of adherent cells. The culture vessel of the present invention provides methods and apparatus for the cultivation of cells on a three-dimensional carrier in a closed cell culture chamber, the supply with oxygen taking place across a gas-permeable gas exchange membrane bordering the cell culture chamber and the supply with nutrients taking place across a dialysis membrane bordering the cell culture chamber, across which nutrients are transported and across which metabolic products are removed, without the danger of contaminating the cells during contact with the tools necessary for manually separating the cells being cultivated from the nutrient medium. The cell culture chamber of the present invention features a vessel that is impermeable to fluids on all sides except for the boundary formed by the dialysis membrane.

Abstract: A cell culture vessel which permits gentle but vigorous intermixing and suspending of the cell culture during rotation. The culture vessel features a cell mixing and suspending device combined with a gas exchange membrane such that ample gas exchange occurs without the need to feed oxygen to the cells. The cell mixing and suspending device comprises a baffle system having at least one, and preferably more than one, mixing elements integral with the gas exchange membrane. Movement of the culture vessel, such as for example by rolling, shaking or swirling, moves the mixing elements such that the cells which are to be cultivated are gently intermixed and stably suspended within the cell culture chamber. Pressure variations within the cell culture vessel are accommodated by pressure equalizing device. The pressure equalizing device preferably comprises pressure sheathing made of gas permeable material positioned to form at least a portion of the outer wall of the supply chamber.

Abstract: Culture vessels for cell cultures having at least one cell culture chamber containing a cell culture mixture that is separated by a dialysis membrane from a nutrient medium in a nutrient supply chamber. Nutrients are transported through the dialysis membrane into the cell culture chamber and metabolic products are transported out of the cell culture chamber into the nutrient supply chamber. A gas exchange membrane that at least partly delimits the cell culture chamber and that is impermeable to liquids and to microorganisms that could contaminate the cell cultures is provided for feeding the gases required for cell culturing to the culture chamber and for discharging the gases generated during cell culturing. The cell culture chamber can advantageously be configured as a stand-alone module supporting both the dialysis membrane and the gas exchange membrane.

Abstract: Culture vessels for cell cultures having at least one cell culture chamber containing a cell culture mixture that is separated by a dialysis membrane from a nutrient medium in a nutrient supply chamber. Nutrients are transported through the dialysis membrane into the cell culture chamber and metabolic products are transported out of the cell culture chamber into the nutrient supply chamber. To provide a culture vessel for generating cell cultures with a high cell density that is economical to manufacture and easy to handle and to reduce the danger of infections, a gas exchange membrane, that at least partly delimits the cell culture chamber and that is impermeable to liquids and to microorganisms that could contaminate the cell cultures is provided for feeding the gases required for cell culturing to the culture chamber and for discharging the gases generated during cell culturing.