Bioreactors and components of bioreactors are described as may be beneficially utilized in development and conditioning of cellular materials for study or implant. The bioreactors are modular and components of the bioreactors can be easily assembled with alternatives provided to develop specific, predetermined conditioning environments for cellular materials (e.g., implantable tissue). By selection of one of multiple alternative compliance chambers, a bioreactor can be utilized to condition tissue in a low pressure circuit (e.g., a pulmonary heart circuit), and by utilization of an alternative compliance chamber, the bioreactor can instead condition tissue in a high pressure circuit (e.g., an aortic heart circuit).

A photobioreactor with a microalgae's cultivation chamber in the form of a duct that is constructed from an inflatable sleeve from transparent polymer film; this inflatable sleeve excluding its terminal sections is sandwiched between a bank of frames with wire nettings from below and glass panes from above the inflatable sleeve, and it has a small inclination regarding the horizontal plane. The terminal sections of the inflatable sleeve are in fluid communication with two headers, which are used for supplying and removal of gaseous medium and suspension of microalgae into and out of the duct.

Disclosed herein are multi-cuvette cartridges, flow cells, and electrical pulse systems for treatment of large volumes of biological samples with pulsed electric fields. The multi-cuvette cartridges systems may include mechanical motors for automatic positioning and alignment between the cuvettes and the electrodes of the electrical pulse systems. The flow cell systems may include fluidic systems, such as pumps, nozzles and valves, which may operate in coordination with the electrical systems for efficient exposition of biological samples. Embodiments having flow cell systems that allow “on-demand” production of activated sample are also disclosed.

A device for monitoring a bioreactor includes a sample tube for withdrawing a sample from a bioreactor into a sample cell and elements for analyzing the sample, in the NIR region, for example. Collecting and releasing the sample from and into the bioreactor is conducted using a peristaltic pump that is operated as a reversible/reciprocating pump. A sterile filter separates sample cell tubing from tubing connecting to the peristaltic pump.

An apparatus for enhancing bacterial sporulation comprising a laminar flow chamber including a plurality of laminar flow tubes that smooth flow of coolant, a coolant input port that is coupled to the laminar flow chamber that supplies the coolant to the laminar flow chamber from a coolant source, a transparent tube section that is coupled to the laminar flow chamber and includes light-emitting diode (LED) light modules, the transparent tube section receives the smoothed flow of coolant from the laminar flow chamber, a culture solution tube that traverses through the laminar flow chamber and the transparent tube section, wherein a portion of the culture solution tube that is within the transparent tube section is surrounded by the coolant and is exposed to light from the LED light modules, and a culture solution input port that is coupled to the culture solution tube and supplies a culture solution to the culture solution tube.

A microenvironment-simulated cell culture system includes a cell culture chip, a fluid storage device and a fluid driving member. The cell culture chip includes a mainbody, a cell culture chamber, two fluid delivery ports and a sample loading well. The cell culture chamber is disposed in the mainbody and includes a first side portion and a second side portion. The two fluid delivery ports are separately disposed on the mainbody and respectively connected to the cell culture chamber. The sample loading well is disposed on the mainbody and connected to the cell culture chamber. The fluid storage device is pipe-connected to the cell culture chip. The fluid driving member is pipe-connected to the fluid storage device and the cell culture chip.

A pulsatile perfusion bioreactor for culturing one or more engineered blood vessels having a lumen and a wall is provided. The bioreactor includes a chamber for holding the engineered blood vessel and cell culture media; a mechanical property monitoring system for measuring axial tensile stress and strain, circumferential tensile stress and strain, and/or shear stress imparted on the vessel wall; and a pump system for delivering cell culture media through the vessel lumen, wherein the vessel is exposed to a composite pressure waveform and a composite flow waveform as the media is delivered there through. The pump system includes a steady flow and peristaltic pumps. Further, the composite pressure and flow waveforms each include a mean component, a fundamental frequency component, and a second harmonic frequency component. The bioreactor also includes a computer interface for monitoring and adjusting the composite waveforms to maintain a predetermined stress level.

There is disclosed a cell culture plate comprising at least two sequentially arranged wells and a channel adapted for fluid communication between the wells, wherein the channel is connected or coupled to a first pump via openings at each end of the channel, and wherein said first pump is operable to circulate fluid between the at least two wells. Devices and systems incorporating the cell culture plate and methods and uses employing same are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a device for cultivating cells, in particular tissue, comprising a carrier plate unit which has a central axis of rotation, at least one access opening arranged proximally to the axis of rotation, at least one cultivation chamber arranged distally to the axis of rotation, and at least one channel connecting the access opening to the cultivation chamber, and also a method for cultivating cells in a device according to the invention and a method for producing the device according to the invention.

A pulsatile perfusion bioreactor for culturing one or more engineered blood vessels having a lumen and a wall is provided. The bioreactor includes a chamber for holding the engineered blood vessel and cell culture media; a mechanical property monitoring system for measuring axial tensile stress and strain, circumferential tensile stress and strain, and/or shear stress imparted on the vessel wall; and a pump system for delivering cell culture media through the vessel lumen, wherein the vessel is exposed to a composite pressure waveform and a composite flow waveform as the media is delivered there through. The pump system includes a steady flow and peristaltic pumps. Further, the composite pressure and flow waveforms each include a mean component, a fundamental frequency component, and a second harmonic frequency component. The bioreactor also includes a computer interface for monitoring and adjusting the composite waveforms to maintain a predetermined stress level.