There is provided a connector, for introducing or extracting a material to or from at least one receptacle, comprising a housing extending between a distal end and a proximal end, the housing comprising, at least at one end, a pierceable seal; a hollow needle mounted, at least partially, within the housing between the distal end and the proximal end of the housing, a first end of the hollow needle being connected or connectable to a first corresponding receptacle, and a second end of the hollow needle facing the pierceable seal at an end of the housing; and an actuating mechanism acting on the housing or the hollow needle to enable the hollow needle to pierce the pierceable seal thereby forming a communication through the pierceable seal, such that material is able to transfer through the connector.

A system and method for array system for cells, organoids and organs culture and testing. The system includes a disposable chips and systems with actuators, sensors, software/firmware and smart device App. The disposable includes standard well plates, custom well plates, T-flasks, microfluidic chips. The system includes vascular fluidics using gravity-driven flow and pneumatic flow, media, reagents, protein and collagen dispensers in wells or surfaces, manufacturing techniques for multi-layer chips and plates and culture system with gas and media control.

Disclosed herein are details of a hermetically or aseptically sealed bioreactor. The bioreactor comprises a bioreactor chamber, a membrane wall, a scaffold structure, a linear actuator, a linear transfer means, and a control system. Use of the bioreactor permits the inner scaffold structure to be moved and manipulated while still preserving a hermetic or aseptic seal inside the bioreactor chamber during operation.

A culture dish combination for embryo thawing and embryo transfer is provided. The culture dish combination includes a first culture dish and a second culture dish, the first culture dish includes a first dish cavity for thawing and laser-assisted hatching of frozen embryos, and an opening of the first dish cavity is upward. The second culture dish is detachably connected to the first culture dish, and the second culture dish includes a second dish cavity for balancing culture medium before the embryo transfer; the second culture dish further includes a third dish cavity surrounding the second dish cavity, and openings of the second dish cavity and the third dish cavity are upward. The culture dish combination solves problems of complex operations of thawing the frozen embryo, laser-assisted hatching and the embryo transfer, which increases the accuracy of the operation of embryo thawing and improves the stability of the incubator environment.

The invention relates to a device for providing a cell suspension to an apparatus for treating the cells, wherein the device comprises at least one internal space 16 for holding the suspension, and wherein the internal space 16 is at least partially surrounded by a wall 15. The device further comprises at least one inlet port 2 comprising at least one first opening 3 for introducing the suspension into the internal space 16 and at least one outlet port comprising at least one second opening for removing the suspension from said internal space 16. The inlet port 2 further comprises at least one barrier element 6 bordering the first opening 3 at a side furthest to the wall 15 and is partially arranged between the first opening 3 and the internal space 16.

A perfusion manifold assembly is described that allows for perfusion of a microfluidic device, such as an organ on a chip microfluidic device comprising cells that mimic cells in an organ in the body, that is detachably linked with said assembly so that fluid enters ports of the microfluidic device from a fluid reservoir, optionally without tubing, at a controllable flow rate. A culture module is contemplated that allows the perfusion and optionally mechanical actuation of one or more microfluidic devices, such as organ-on-a-chip microfluidic devices comprising cells that mimic at least one function of an organ in the body.

A hanging drop device is provided in the present disclosure. The hanging drop device includes a hanging drop box and a negative pressure module. The hanging drop box includes a plate and a cover. The cover is coupled with the plate to jointly delimit a pressure chamber. The cover includes an upper surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of wells are recessed from the upper surface, and each of the wells is communicated with the pressure chamber through a hole. The negative pressure module is communicated with the pressure chamber. Each of the wells is for containing a liquid, the negative pressure module is for generating a negative pressure in the pressure chamber, so as to drive the liquid in each of the wells to pass through the hole, and the liquid forms a hanging drop hanging from the bottom surface of the cover.

A bioreactor includes a rigid-walled vessel for containing a biological medium, the vessel having a lid. The bioreactor further includes a probe passing through an aperture in the lid and having a sensing end inside the vessel and a remote end outside the vessel. The sensing end has plural electrodes for immersion in the biological medium, and the remote end is configured for coupling to external devices and transmission thereto of electrical or electromagnetic measurements made by the electrodes. One of the lid and the probe has one or more resiliently deformable mechanisms and the other of the lid and the probe has one or more respective complementary surfaces. The resiliently deformable mechanisms and the complementary surfaces are configured such that, on insertion of the probe through the aperture to assemble the probe to the lid, the one or more resiliently deformable mechanisms are first deformed on sliding against the one or more complementary surfaces and then resile when the probe reaches a predetermined insertion position relative to the lid to secure the probe to the lid. One of the lid and the probe carries a sealing element which seals the probe to the lid when the probe is secured at the predetermined position.

A bioreactor (1; 2; 3) includes a receiving container (10) for receiving a disposable bag (44). A bottom surface (11) of the receiving container (10) is designed to support the disposable bag (44) in the receiving container (10). An outlet opening (5) is formed in the bottom surface (11) and tapers down with respect to the ground for receiving a drain port (45) of the disposable bag (44). The drain port is complementary to the outlet opening (5).

Provided are improved compositions and methods for establishing, maintaining, and testing a sample in a controlled environment. The improved apparatus allows introduction and extraction of various desired compositions to and from the sample, while maintaining a sealed controlled environment to minimize experimental variability and other repercussions of system perturbation.