An automated cell culturing device, which expands, detaches and prepares cells, ready to be implanted in vivo is disclosed. The device is composed by a multi-layered cell culture chamber, a cell preparation chamber, and critical parameters control units which automatically drive the cell culture medium circulation, change and refill. The device according to the invention is characterized in that all the components contacting cells and culture medium constitute a totally disposable cartridge in order to avoid cross-contamination and improve safety. The device is particularly useful for expanding and preparing mesenchymal stem cells for osteoarthritis (OA) therapy, and for other cell based therapies in mammals.

Microorganisms such as microalgae 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 processing method for detaching cells adhering to a culture face of a culture container from the culture container by using a cell processing system including a vibration unit configured to generate vibrations includes heating a vibration transmission material to increase a temperature of the vibration transmission material by making the vibration unit generate a vibration in a first mode in a state where the vibration unit makes contact with the vibration transmission material, and detaching the cells from the culture container by making the vibration unit generate a vibration in a second mode different from the first mode after the heating is started, in a state where the vibration transmission material makes contact with the culture container.

A cell detachment method for detaching a cell adhering to a culture surface of a cell culture container includes an adhesion strength reduction step of reducing the adhesion strength of the cell by applying a stimulus to the cell while the cell remains adhered to the cell culture container, a measurement step of measuring the cell and acquiring cell information at at least two time points, a detachment step of detaching the cell from the culture surface, and a determination step of determining, based on the cell information, a time point t2 at which the detachment step is to be started, the time point t2 being after a time point t1, the time point t1 being a later time point among the at least two time points.

A cell detachment apparatus that detaches cells placed on a culture surface of a culture container for cells by applying vibration to the cells includes a vibrator and a vibration plate, wherein the vibrator, the vibration plate, an acoustic transmission medium, and the culture container are arranged to be stacked on each other in this order, and the cell detachment apparatus is configured so that an area where the acoustic transmission medium comes into contact with the vibration plate does not overlap an area where the vibrator comes into contact with the vibration plate in a stacking direction of the vibrator, the vibration plate, an acoustic transmission medium, and the culture container.

A cell detachment apparatus that detaches cells placed on a culture surface of a culture container for cells by applying vibration to the cells includes a vibrator and a vibrating plate, wherein the vibrator, the vibrating plate, an acoustic transmission medium, and the culture container are stacked in this order, wherein a bending vibration is excited on the culture container when a vibration of the vibrating plate is transmitted to the culture container via the acoustic transmission medium, and wherein the acoustic transmission medium and the culture container come into contact with each other at a region including an antinode of the bending vibration and do not come into contact at a node of the bending vibration.

A cell detachment apparatus that detaches cells placed on a culture surface of a culture container for cells by applying a vibration to the cells, includes a vibrator, and a vibrating plate, wherein the culture container includes a protruding portion on a surface on an opposite side of the culture surface, and wherein the cell detachment apparatus is configured so that in a case where the vibrator, the vibrating plate, an acoustic transmission medium, and the culture container are arranged to be stacked in this order, the acoustic transmission medium and the vibrating plate do not come into contact with the protruding portion.

A cell detachment system that detaches a cell sheet adhering to a culture container from the culture container includes a detachment start unit that starts detachment of the cell sheet; an information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a detachment progressing direction of the cell sheet after start of the detachment of the cell sheet; a shaking unit that shakes the culture container; and a setting unit that sets, on a basis of the information regarding the detachment progressing direction, the detachment progressing direction and a direction of the shaking to be substantially parallel to each other.

A cell detachment method that detaches a cell sheet adhering to a culture surface of a culture container from the culture container by using a cell detachment system includes a tapping process of tapping the culture container in a first direction that contains a direction component parallel to the culture surface; and a shaking process of shaking the culture container in a second direction that contains a direction component parallel to the culture surface, in which the first direction and the second direction are different from each other as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the culture surface.

An information processing device includes a cell information acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a cells, a detachment condition acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a detachment condition for detaching the cell adhering to a culture substrate from the culture substrate by an external force being applied to the culture substrate, and a storage unit configured to store the information about the cell and the information about the detachment condition in association with each other.