Provided is a drive mechanism capable of withstanding sterilization treatment using a sterilization gas such as hydrogen peroxide and capable of performing positioning operation with heightened accuracy. In a drive mechanism according to the invention, a movable block disposed in the internal space of a partition wall for blocking a sterilization gas is coupled to a movable platform disposed in the external space of the partition wall by means of a magnet coupling mechanism. Further, biasing magnet units are disposed on surfaces, of the movable block and the movable platform, on which no magnet coupling mechanism is disposed, such that the biasing magnet units serve as magnetic poles repelling each other. Repelling force generated by the biasing magnet units serves as biasing force that biases the movable platform toward the partition wall.

A method of detection of a status of cells within a cell culture is described. The method is based on comparing an IR spectrum of a test sample obtained from the cell culture with an IR spectrum of a control sample or samples or with an IR spectrum of a sample or samples obtained at an earlier time point in the cell culture and correlating differences between the spectra with the status of the cells. The status may be classified into healthy or unhealthy. The test sample may or may not contain cells. The test sample may contain cell fragments, cell components or cell media, or may be cell supernatant. The comparison may be performed using a predictive model based on pattern recognition algorithms, such as support vector machines SVM, linear discriminant analysis LDA, principal component discriminant function analysis PC-DFA, neural networks, or random forests). The analysis results may be used to monitor and/or control the cell culturing process.

Provided are a cell-extruding device including a membrane module, and a cell-extruding method using the same, wherein a suspension including cells is efficiently dispersed in the membrane module, thus preventing membrane clogging and increasing the usable area of the membrane, and thereby replacing the membrane and carrying out the process are easy, and production efficiency is increased.

A pipette includes an end section, a first section, a second section and a third section aligned along a central axis of the pipette tip. The end section comprises an orifice for aspirating and dispensing a fluid. A first kink is formed in an inner surface of the pipette tip between the first section and the second section, such that an angle between the inner surface of the first section and the central axis is smaller than an angle between the inner surface of the second section and the central axis. A second kink is formed in the inner surface of the pipette tip between the second section and the third section, such that the angle between the inner surface of the second section and the central axis is smaller than an angle between the inner surface of the third section and the central axis.

A picktool manipulator device collects a specimen from a culture medium. In a first mode of operation, a picktool is allowed to move in an axial direction relative to support structure of the device. A detector may generate a signal in response to movement of the body in the axial direction so as to determine a height at which the picktool contacts the medium. The device may operate in the first mode when collecting a specimen from a culture medium. A second mode of operation constrains or precludes axial movement of the picktool. In some cases, the device may operate in the second mode when receiving a new picktool or discarding a used picktool.

The invention concerns a filtration assembly (1) for microbiological testing and a method of using the filtration assembly for that purpose. The filtration assembly (1) comprises a ring-like membrane support (10) holding a filtration membrane (11), a cylindrical reservoir (20) of which opposite axial ends have openings and one axial opening is removably and fluid-tightly attachable to the membrane support (10) to define a sample volume adjacent to the filtration membrane (11) on one axial side of the membrane support (10); and a drain member (30) removably and fluid tightly attachable to the membrane support (10) to define a drain channel space adjacent to the filtration membrane (11) on an opposite axial side of the membrane support (10).

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a culture device, which comprises: an accommodation base, an accommodation chamber disposed on the accommodation base. The accommodation chamber includes a culture chamber for accommodating one or more cultures. The culture chamber includes a chamber bottom wall and a chamber side wall surrounding the chamber bottom wall. A culture solution channel is formed between an outer side of the chamber side wall and an inner wall of the accommodation chamber. At least part of the chamber side wall includes a membrane material, and a plane where the membrane material is located intersect with the chamber bottom wall.

A switching valve includes a rotor having a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on both ends thereof, a rotor drive unit rotationally driving the rotor, a pair of pressing members, each being provided at a position where each of the pair of pressing members cooperates with each of the pair of rollers outside a revolution orbit of each of the pair of rollers revolving by rotation of the rotor, and a pair of tubes, each being disposed between the revolution orbit of each of the pair of rollers and each of the pair of pressing members. A rotation center axis of the rotor is disposed on a straight line connecting centers of rotation of the pair of rollers, and each pressing member has the pair of pressing areas symmetrical with respect to a straight line passing through the center of rotation of the rotor and extending a vertical direction.

Provided is a cell suspension culturing apparatus suitable for large-scale culture of cells, the cell culturing apparatus comprising a culture solution aspirator having a double-tube structure comprising an outer tube and an inner tube inserted in a lumen of the outer tube, and a suspension culture vessel, wherein in the culture solution aspirator, the outer tube comprises a filter through which a culture solution is passed, the inner tube comprises a suction port for the culture solution passed through the filter, and an air hole which communicates the lumen of the outer tube with the outside is disposed distally in a direction of insertion of the outer tube into the suspension culture vessel.

The present disclosure provides a fluid delivery consumable for delivering a fluid dose to a bioreactor. The fluid delivery consumable comprising a vial for holding the fluid dose, the vial having an outlet and an open end opposite to the outlet, a plunger engaged with the open end and operable to urge the fluid dose toward the outlet, and a connector proximal to the outlet, the connector being attachable to the bioreactor and adapted to move the fluid dose from the vial to the bioreactor based on operation of the plunger.