The invention relates to a nutrient medium unit for holding a filter of a filtration device, comprising a lower part that is filled with the nutrient medium and a lid, the latter having a fixing edge that protrudes into the lower part and that can be connected to an edge of the filter by means of an adhesive bond in order to remove said filter from the filtration device. The invention also relates to a method for the microbiological analysis of liquid samples, according to which a membrane filter is lifted off a filter support and laid on the surface of a nutrient medium that is situated in a lower part of a nutrient medium unit. The lower part is then covered by a lid, the latter being placed on the membrane filter lying on the filter support in such a way that a fixing edge located in the lid is connected to an edge of the filter by means of an adhesive bond. The lid and the attached filter are lifted off the filter support and placed on the dish-shaped lower part of the nutrient medium unit.

The invention provides a full-automatic cell culture system, at least comprising: a control module, a control platform, a dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture, a cell incubator shaker and a cell culture bag. The control platform is connected to the dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture and the cell incubator shaker respectively, and the control module is connected to the control platform. The invention also provides a culture bag support frame for a continuous cell incubator shaker, the continuous cell incubator shaker, a non-contact sensor connector, the cell culture bag and the dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture which are related to the full-automatic cell culture system, thereby realizing continuous culture and observation of cells.

A specimen container includes a body to which a well having an opening at an upper end and capable of storing a fluid in internal space is disposed. An opening plane, a first cross section and a second cross section have outer peripheral shapes dissimilar to each other and in a plan view, the second cross section is contained in the first cross section and the first cross section is contained in the opening plane. Here, the opening plane, the first cross section and the second cross section are defined in a horizontal posture of the body as follows. The opening plane is a projected plane of the opening of the well on a horizontal plane. The first cross section is a horizontal cross section of the internal space taken at a position corresponding to a predetermined first depth defined vertically downwardly from the opening. Further; the second cross section is a horizontal cross section of the internal space taken at a position corresponding to a second depth greater than the first depth.

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. A transfer mechanism for moving and weighing the fluid processing reservoir is disclosed also.

Disclosed herein is an instrument suitable for processing cells for example culturing, concentrating or washing said cells, the instrument comprising: a housing for accommodating mechanical elements including at least one fluid pump; and a disposable processing kit complementary to the mechanical elements within the housing and comprising a fluid circuit including a fluid reservoir and plural fluid paths capable of carrying fluid flow caused by said pump(s), the instrument further including a mechanism for determining the quantity, or change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir resulting from said fluid flow, the instrument yet further comprising a controller operable to control at least the pump and operable to perform a fault determination process, which includes the steps of determining the expected flow rate of said pump(s) calculated from the speed of the pump(s) and comparing that expected flow with the change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir as determined by said mechanism.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to an adaptable microenvironment for cellular and biological processing in a traceable, transportable unit. In an illustrative example, an apparatus consists of one or more portable cell tissue containment modules that may be removably interconnected to perform a processing step and/or transfer the stored medium to another module. Associated apparatus and methods are proposed to ensure non-contaminating mechanical or fluid communication between a plurality of modules or between a module and peripheral equipment, to limit process errors such as steps performed out of order, and to intrinsically manage identification of tissue samples with accompanying process data in a manner that decreases risk of mislabeling or otherwise mishandling a sample at all stages of the production and treatment process.

Embodiments of a modular tubular bioreactor system for culturing an aqueous culture of microorganisms are described herein. The tubular bioreactor may comprise culture tubes configured in a vertically spaced and horizontally staggered arrangement to optimize the application of light to the culture in phototrophic and mixotrophic cultivation.

A multiport container system for use in cell culture processes in the field of regenerative medicine is disclosed. Specifically, the container system can have a port that connects to a fill tubing for media and reagent addition, and additional ports for tubing and connectors which are compatible to various types of cell therapy bioreactors, single use bags, as well as different sampling and cell culture systems. The multiport container system can be used for cell production processes where a single bag could be used to fill, transport, and store media or reagents, as well as to seed and feed cells into different types of culture platform. The disclosed multiport container system can be used for the streamlining of process work flow which enable rapid process development and process transfer into cell product manufacturing.

A feeding and discharging device (1) and a method of feeding and discharging with said feeding and discharging device (1), which hermetically convey the upstream object (3) from the upstream space (6) to the downstream space (7) which is separated from the upstream space (6), a loaded transition space (8) is formed after a sequence of the operations of opening the upstream opening (4), moving the upstream object (3) out of the upstream space (6) through the upstream opening (4), closing the upstream opening (4), an unloaded transition space (9) is formed after a sequence of the operations of opening the downstream opening (4), moving the upstream object (3) into the downstream space (7) through the downstream opening (4), closing the downstream opening (4), the scheme improves the air tightness of the feeding and discharging process, increases the flow of feeding and discharging, prolongs the service life of the device.

Disclosed herein is an instrument suitable for processing cells for example culturing, concentrating or washing said cells, the instrument comprising: a housing for accommodating mechanical elements including at least one fluid pump; and a disposable processing kit complementary to the mechanical elements within the housing and comprising a fluid circuit including a fluid reservoir and plural fluid paths capable of carrying fluid flow caused by said pump(s), the instrument further including a mechanism for determining the quantity, or change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir resulting from said fluid flow, the instrument yet further comprising a controller operable to control at least the pump and operable to perform a fault determination process, which includes the steps of determining the expected flow rate of said pump(s) calculated from the speed of the pump(s) and comparing that expected flow with the change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir as determined by said mechanism.