An arrangement (100) for classifying plant embryos comprising a vibrating base (102) configured to receive. relocate and/or detach, by vibrating. one or more plant embryos (104) without liquid, at least one sensor (108) configured to at least detect a single plant embryo (104) on the vibrating base (102), a robot (106) having a gripper (110) configured to pick the detected single plant embryo (104) from the vibrating base (102), at least one camera (112) configured to image the single plant embryo (104) in the gripper (110) from a plurality of directions and a processing unit configured to determine, based on the images. a quality of the single plant embryo (104), and wherein the processing unit is further configured to provide a control signal to the robot (106) to move, based on the quality of the embryo (104), the single plant embryo (104) to a first or a second group.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for acoustic separation of cellular supporting materials such as microcarriers or microbubbles from cell culture are provided. In one aspect, a method includes flowing a fluid containing the cellular supporting material and the cells through a flow chamber; driving at least one acoustic transducer to launch an acoustic wave from the acoustic transducer positioned on a first wall of the flow chamber to a reflector positioned on a second wall of the flow chamber to create, in the flow chamber, a multi-dimensional field that includes first spatial locales where acoustic pressure amplitude is elevated from a baseline level when the acoustic transducer is turned off, and second spatial locales where acoustic pressure amplitude is substantially identical to the baseline level when the acoustic transducer is turned off, wherein the first wall is opposite to the second wall; preferentially trapping, and gravity separating, the cellular supporting material or the cells at the first or second spatial locales inside the flow chamber; and collecting cells separated from the cellular supporting material using a first collection duct coupled to the flow chamber.

Methods for using vibration to harvest cells grown in 3D culture are provided. The methods entail the application of force to cells attached to a 3D matrix of sufficient amplitude, frequency, and duration to detach cells from the matrix and to flush the detached cells out of the matrix material. An apparatus for performing the methods of the invention as provided.

Methods are disclosed for separating beads and cells from a host fluid. The method includes flowing a mixture containing the host fluid, the beads, and the cells through an acoustophoretic device having an ultrasonic transducer including a piezoelectric material driven by a drive signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave. A drive signal is sent to drive the at least one ultrasonic transducer to create the multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave. A recirculating fluid stream having a tangential flow path is located substantially tangential to the standing wave and separated therefrom by an interface region. A portion of the cells pass through the standing wave, and the beads are held back from the standing wave in the recirculating fluid stream at the interface region. Also disclosed is an acoustophoretic device having a coolant inlet adapted to permit the ingress of a cooling fluid into the device for cooling the transducer.

Microorganisms such as micro algae are collected and separated from a host medium such as water. Cellular walls and membranes of the microorganisms are then ruptured to release their lipids using a lipid extraction unit. Thereafter, the lipids from the host medium are collected and separated using a lipid collection and separation unit. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

A cell separation device imparts vibration to a cell culture film having a front surface to which cells adhere, from a rear surface side of the film, and consequently separates the cells from the film. The device includes an ultrasonic probe having an ultrasonically-vibrating vibrator, a frame disposed to surround the vibrator and a first detection part configured to detect a force applied to the frame in a specified direction. The vibrator selectively imparts ultrasonic vibration to specified cells adhering to the front surface of the film. Based on a detection result obtained by the first detection part, the frame is pushed until the force applied from the rear surface of the film to the frame reaches a specified magnitude. Thereafter, the vibrator ultrasonically vibrates in a state in which the frame makes contact with the rear surface of the film.

An acoustophoresis device made up of modular components is disclosed. Several modules are disclosed herein, including ultrasonic transducer modules, input/output modules, collection well modules, and various connector modules. These permit different systems to be constructed that have appropriate fluid dynamics for separation of particles, such as biological cells, from a fluid.

An acoustophoresis device made up of modular components is disclosed. Several modules are disclosed herein, including ultrasonic transducer modules, input/output modules, collection well modules, and various connector modules. These permit different systems to be constructed that have appropriate fluid dynamics for separation of particles, such as biological cells, from a fluid.

There is provided a cell detachment apparatus that separates a cell attached to a culture surface of a culture substrate from the culture surface by applying vibrations to the culture surface that includes a vibration unit including a vibrator that generates the vibrations, and a first holding unit that holds the culture substrate in a horizontal direction so that a position of the culture substrate with respect to the vibrator is allowed to be changed.

A perfusion bioreactor includes at least one ultrasonic transducer that can acoustically generate a multi-dimensional standing wave. The standing wave can be used to retain cells in the bioreactor, and can also be utilized to dewater or further harvest product from the waste materials produced in a bioreactor.