The invention discloses a first connection unit having a plurality of sensor surfaces and which is adapted to be aseptically connected to a second connection unit mounted e.g. on a flexible bioreactor bag.

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.

A cell sheet-forming member provided with a surface for forming a cell sheet, wherein the surface comprises a plurality of flat parts and a plurality of concavo-convex parts. Each flat part has a shape extending along a first direction and the plurality of the flat parts are aligned along a second direction intersecting with the first direction over the entire surface. Either of convex parts or concave parts have a stepped structure and individual concave and convex parts include a plurality of the stepped structures which fill gaps between flat parts adjacent to each other, wherein the pitch of said stepped structures is from 100 nm to 10 μm inclusive.

A container for culturing a blood sample. The container has a reservoir that is no larger than about 40 ml in volume with culture media therein varying in amount by volume 0.5 ml to about 20 ml. The container is adapted to receive a blood sample drawn from a patient, wherein the blood volume is about 1 ml to about 20 ml. In some embodiments the ratio of blood volume to culture media volume is about 2:1 to about 1:2 and the volume of blood does not exceed about 10 ml. In some embodiments, the media is lytic media. A method for using the container to culture a blood sample is also contemplated. In such method, the container is inoculated with the blood sample. In certain embodiments, the volume of the blood sample does not exceed 10 mls.

The method of growing a biopolymer material employs incubation of a growth media comprised of nutritive substrate and a fungus in containers that are placed in a closed incubation chamber with air flows passed over each container while the chamber is maintained with a predetermined environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen. The air flows may be directed parallel or perpendicularly to the surfaces of the growth media.

A connector for flexible tubing comprises a first hollow insert for allowing fluid flow, having a proximal end configured to fit inside the tubing, a first outer part, a joining member rigidly connecting the first insert to the outer part at a region spaced from the proximal end of the first insert and a generally annular gap between the first insert and the first outer part, which forms a tubing accepting opening at or adjacent the proximal end of the insert, the first outer part further comprising plural resilient protrusions extending into the gap, allowing the tubing to be inserted, but resisting removal of the tubing once inserted and wherein at least the insert, the joining member and the outer part are formed as a single integral molding.

The disclosure relates to a glycoconjugate vaccine conferring protection against Francisella tularensis infections and a method to manufacture a glycoconjugate antigen.

A bioreactor is provided that includes a container for receiving fluid media that contain biological material and a passage with a passage opening between an interior of the container and an exterior of the container. The bioreactor includes a holder configured to hold a sensor that extends at least partially in the passage opening of the passage. The holder has a sensor chamber and a fine-pored glass layer with a pore size of up to 0.2 m. The fine-pored glass layer bounds the sensor chamber at least partially, whereby, in particular, an exchange of fluids between the interior of the container for receiving fluid media that contain biological material and the interior of the sensor chamber is made possible.

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.

The invention provides a device for growing cellsreferred to as a cassette. The cell culturing device includes a housing that contains a lid having an optically clear window; a fluid distribution channel; a sample injection port fluidically connected to the fluid distribution channel; a base housing a porous media pad; and a media injection port fluidically connected to the media pad. The lid mates to the base to form a sterile seal; the fluid distribution channel is disposed over the media pad, which is viewable through the optical window; and sample fluid introduced into the fluid distribution channel is distributed evenly to the media pad, e.g., via a plurality of channels. The invention also provides kits that include cassettes of the invention and a tube set.