An inverted conical bioreactor is provided for growing cells or microorganisms. The bioreactor has an internal space and a perforated barrier within the vessel, through which a liquid may flow, where cells or microorganisms cannot pass through the perforated barrier. The perforated barrier divides the internal space of the bioreactor into a first chamber and a second chamber. Cells are grown within the second chamber and can be perfused by re-circulating the liquid, for example a growth medium, through the bioreactor. Various inlet ports and outlet ports allow controlling the parameters of flow of the growth medium.

There is the problem that a liquid culture medium fed by a pump has a high frequency of contact with a gas during movement in a tube, and the pH value of the liquid culture medium before and after feeding changes easily. In a liquid feeder and a cell culture apparatus provided therewith, a feed pipe 7 is connected with a gas bag 14, the liquid to be fed into the feed pipe 7 is fed so as to be sandwiched by a gas for suppressing the qualitative changes of the liquid. Furthermore, the gas bag is connected with a container 8 for holding a liquid, and holds the gas for suppressing qualitative changes of the liquid in a gas phase of the container.

A device for controlling apical flow to a cell culture includes an apical insert that defines at least one inlet channel extending from an inlet port to an apical feed port and at least one outlet channel extending from an apical effluent port to an outlet port. The apical insert includes a projecting portion configured to extend into a cell culture insert to a depth that is less than a depth of the cell culture insert, and a contact surface configured to maintain a spatial relationship between the projecting portion and the cell culture insert.

Methods and apparatus for manufacturing a microfluidic arrangement are disclosed. In one arrangement a continuous body of a first liquid is provided in direct contact with a substrate. A second liquid is provided in direct contact with the first liquid and covering the first liquid. The first liquid is in direct contact exclusively with the second liquid and the substrate. The second liquid is forced through the first liquid and into contact with the substrate in selected regions of the substrate in order to divide the continuous body of the first liquid into a plurality of sub-bodies of the first liquid that are separated from each other by the second liquid. The first liquid is immiscible with the second liquid. Surface tension stably holds the plurality of sub-bodies of the first liquid separated from each other by the second liquid.

Methods and apparatus for controlling flow in a microfluidic arrangement are disclosed. In one arrangement, a microfluidic arrangement comprises a first liquid held predominantly by surface tension in a shape defining a microfluidic pattern on a surface of a substrate. The microfluidic pattern comprises at least an elongate conduit and a first reservoir. A second liquid is in direct contact with the first liquid and covers the microfluidic pattern. A flow of liquid is driven through the elongate conduit into the first reservoir. The microfluidic pattern and the depth and density of the second liquid are such that the first reservoir grows in volume during the flow of liquid into the first reservoir, without either of the size and shape of an area of contact between the first reservoir and the substrate changing, until an upper portion of the first reservoir detaches from a lower portion of the first reservoir due to buoyancy and rises upwards through the second liquid, thereby allowing the first reservoir to continue to receive liquid from the flow of liquid without any change in the size and shape of the area of contact between the first reservoir and the substrate.

Provided is a liquid feeding device which can improve collection efficiency of fine particles on an individual particle basis while improvement of workability is realized.

A liquid feeding device includes: an introduction portion disposed on one end portion of the liquid feeding device, and configured to introduce a liquid into a closed space; a discharge portion disposed on another end portion of the liquid feeding device, and configured to discharge the liquid supplied into the closed space; and an upper wall provided so as to oppose the upper surface of the chip, and configured to define the closed space. The upper wall has an inclined surface which is provided such that a gap formed between the inclined surface and the chip is reduced from an introduction portion side toward a discharge portion side.

The embodiments of the disclosure provide a biological filtration system and a controlling method for the biological filtration system. The biological filtration system for filtering a solution in a bioreactor, comprises: a filter device having a top end and a bottom end, one of the top end and the bottom end being in fluid communication with the bioreactor for filtering the solution in the bioreactor; a liquid chamber in fluid communication with the other one of the top end and the bottom end for storing a solution in the filter device; a positive pressure pump, in fluid communication with the liquid chamber, for driving a solution to flow from the liquid chamber to the bioreactor; and a negative pressure pump, in fluid communication with the liquid chamber, for driving a solution to flow from the bioreactor to the liquid chamber.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing cell-derived vesicles using a depth filter. The present invention has the effect of enabling cell-derived vesicles to be manufactured stably, economically, and in large quantities through a simplified process.

A bio-enhanced remediation model system generally includes a microfluidic device, a fluid source in fluid communication with the microfluidic device, and an imager in visual communication with a portion of the microfluidic device. Generally, the microfluidic device includes a main flow channel having an inlet, an outlet, and a main flow channel width; one or more microfluidic beds in fluid communication with the main flow channel, at least one microfluidic bed having a plurality of structures that define secondary channels, at least a portion of the secondary channels having a width narrower than the main flow channel width; an aqueous phase dispersed within at least a portion of the main flow channel; and a non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) dispersed within at least a portion of the secondary channels.

A bioreactor is provided, comprising a housing extending along a vertical axis and defining an internal cavity therewithin, top and bottom covers at opposite ends of the housing, and a plurality of ports, each configured to facilitate fluid communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the bioreactor. The internal cavity has a frustoconical shape, the frustoconical shape being formed such that horizontal cross-sections are coaxial about a line which is angled with respect to the vertical axis.