A bioreactor system is provided that includes a cell culture vessel having a first end, a second end, and at least one reservoir between the first and second ends; and a cell culture matrix disposed in the at least one reservoir. The cell culture matrix has a structurally defined substrate with a surface for adhering cells thereto. The bioreactor system flows material through the at least one reservoir and through the cell culture matrix in a flow direction from the first end to the second end, and the cell culture matrix exhibits isotropic fluid flow permeability therethrough.

The present invention relates to smart tank for a bio-pharma process line, a smart tank assembly, a method for assembling a smart tank and a system comprising multiple smart tanks. The smart tank comprises a top plate element, at least one sidewall element, and a bottom plate element, wherein the top plate element, the at least one sidewall element and the bottom plate element are arranged to form a reservoir for receiving at least one biochemical medium. The smart tank comprises further at least one channel, for guiding the at least one biochemical medium and/or an operating medium.

This invention relates to a tissue construct comprising a core portion having a recess and composed of fibrous connective tissue, and loose fibrous somatic stem cell-accumulated tissue comprising type III collagen and somatic stem cells which is formed in the recess; a device for producing the same; and a method for collecting somatic stem cells from the tissue construct.

Presented is an airway organ bioreactor apparatus, and methods of use thereof, as well as bioartificial airway organs produced using the methods, and methods of treating subjects using the bioartificial airway organs. The bioreactor comprises: an organ chamber: an ingres line connecting the organ chamber and a reservoir system and comprising an arterial line, a venous line and a tracheal line; an egress line connecting the chamber and the reservoir system, pumps in ingress and egress lines; a controller to control fluid exchange; a chamber pressure sensor connected to the organ chamber.

A microporous substrate for detection of surface bound target analyte molecules includes a microporous substrate material having opposed surfaces and tapered micropores extending through the substrate with the micropores having wider openings on one side of the substrate compared to the other side. The micropores have bound therein analyte specific receptors complementary to the target molecules. When a liquid sample containing the target analyte molecules with optical probes attached to the target molecules is flowed through the substrate, they bind to their complementary analyte specific receptors and emit light. This microporous substrate structure gives an increase in the collection efficiency of light emitted from optical probes when the light is detected by a light detector spaced from the side of the microporous substrate facing the larger micropores openings compared to a light collection efficiency of light emitted from the optical probes when the micropores are straight and not tapered.

A flow path cassette includes superimposed first and second flexible sheets, where a plurality of flow paths are disposed therebetween and detection channel portions are disposed at one or more points along one or more of the plurality the flow paths. Each of the detection channel portions includes a first bulging portion and an opposing second bulging portion. A plate member is aligned with the second bulging portion, and a deformation preventative member is aligned with the first bulging portion. The plate member may move with the second bulging portion, while the deformation preventative member prevents deformation of the first bulging portion.

Cultivation systems including a cultivation substrate configured to promote seaweed holdfast formation and seaweed attachment are disclosed. The cultivation systems may include one or more of a nutrient phase, an adhesive, a bioactive agent, a liquid containing phase. The cultivation substrates may be patterned. The cultivation systems may specifically retain and viably maintain specific seaweed species such as dulse, kelp and nori.

A biological indicator includes: a BI housing; a germinant container inside the BI housing and housing a germinant composition; a germinant releaser configured to release the germinant composition from the germinant container; a germinant releaser support supporting the germinant releaser and configured to bring the germinant releaser into contact with the germinant container upon application of a force to the germinant releaser support or the germinant container; a first spore carrier inside the BI housing, the first spore carrier having a plurality of spores deposited at a first surface thereof; and an imaging window at a first surface of the BI housing. A BI reader is configured to detect and quantify the presence of live spores in the BI, and includes an excitation source, a camera for capturing images of the spores over time, and a processor for analyzing the images to determine the presence of live spores.

Closed disposable seeding systems with improved seeding chambers permitting uniform seeding of a scaffold or graft with patient's cells are provided. The seeding chambers with a variable width along the length of the chamber, or a minimal gap between the scaffold and chamber wall, provide an improvement of the prior seeding chambers of closed disposable seeding systems by providing faster and more efficient and uniform seeding of the grafts and scaffolds. Also described are scaffolds with biomechanical and structural properties permitting spontaneous reversal of stenosis and neotissue formation as the graft degrades yielding a scaffold-free neovessel.

Disclosed are a biomimic system simulating lung tissue, a method for manufacturing same, and a microfluidic control method using same, wherein the biomimic system comprises lung epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts, which are isolated from human lungs, and commercially available vascular endothelial cells, and wherein a microfluid flows through the biomimic system. Each chamber inside the corresponding system can allow a fluid, which contains gas and a medium, to flow therethrough and simulate respiration-like movement, wherein all of the three types of cells can survive inside the system even when one week or more have elapsed after through-flow of the fluid. In addition, the pH and pO.sub.2 in the chamber can be monitored by using a pH sensor and a gas partial pressure sensor inside the system, and thus the three types of cells inside the system can be exposed to external environments, drugs, and the like under the same conditions as in the lungs in vivo. Therefore, a wide range of studies including modeling of lung diseases by harmful substances and testing of therapeutic drug efficacy can be conducted, and further, the utilization to in vitro disease modeling, customized medicine prescriptions, and the like can also be made.