A foam sensor system includes a container bounding a compartment. A foam sensor assembly is mounted on the container and includes: a base being secured to the container; a foam contact being spaced apart from the base and disposed within the compartment of the container, at least a portion of the foam contact having a first diameter; and a transition member extending between the base and the foam contact with at least a portion of the transition member being openly exposed within the compartment of the container, at least a portion of the transition member having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, the foam contact and transition member being connected together so that an electrical signal can pass therethrough.

Bioreactors are provided that include a vessel and a jet mixer disposed in the vessel. Methods that utilize the bioreactors are provided, involving placing a microorganism or cells and a fluid medium in the bioreactor.

A container (2) has flexible walls surrounding a container interior (6). At least one electrical sensor (3, 3, 3, 3, 3) projects into the container interior (6) and has at least first and second electrically conductive plates (8, 8, 9, 9, 9) for determining the conductivity or impedance of a medium that surrounds the plates (8, 8, 9, 9, 9). The plates (8, 8, 9, 9, 9) are connected via connecting lines (10, 11) to a control and regulating unit (4) outside the container interior (6). At least the first plate (8, 8) is on a closed free end of a sheathing (5, 5, 5) and has a contact area exposed to the surrounding medium. The sheathing (5, 5, 5, 17, 17) is a flexible hose (7) or bellows (19, 19) through which the electrical connecting line (10, 11) of the plate (8, 8, 9, 9, 9) is routed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a culture method for cells, which makes it possible to suppress clogging of a filtration filter flow channel in a case where cells are cultured at a high density, and a production method for a useful substance using the culture method for cells. According to the present invention, there is provided a culture method for cells, which includes a culture step of culturing a cell suspension having a cell density of 0.7?10.sup.8 cells/mL or more in a culture tank while introducing a gas into a culture solution and a membrane separation treatment step of passing a cell suspension extracted from the culture tank through a separation membrane to separate the cell suspension into a cell-containing liquid and a permeated liquid, where in the culture method for cells, an anti-foaming component to be added to the culture tank is such that an adding amount thereof per unit culture solution amount and per unit time is 0.70 mg/hour/L or less.

Provided is a culture bag accommodating a culture fluid, the culture bag is capable of suppressing foaming in the culture fluid when oscillating the culture fluid to perform a culture, and performing a culture with high efficiency. The culture bag includes a culture space accommodating a culture fluid, the culture space being an endless space to allow the culture fluid to circulate therein, in which the culture bag has an inner surface that comes into contact with the culture fluid to be accommodated therein, the inner surface including, at least in part thereof, a first surface formed of a fine structure and a second surface formed of a structure different from that of the first structure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a product by cell culture, which makes it possible to suppress the clogging of an exhaust filter due to bubbles generated on an upper surface of a culture solution, and a cell culture device that makes it possible to suppress the clogging of an exhaust filter due to bubbles generated on an upper surface of a culture solution. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a product, which includes culturing a cell using a cell culture device to produce a product from the cell, where the cell culture device includes a culture container accommodating a cell suspension containing cells and at least one or more bubble trap containers capable of accumulating bubbles, the one or more bubble trap containers being connected to an outside of the culture container.

A monitoring system for monitoring a process includes a housing with a viewing panel. The viewing panel includes a view port. An emitter generates light and illuminates an observation zone of the process. A detector is disposed within the housing and is configured to detect light entering the housing through the view port and create a plurality of images of the process in the observation zone. A thermal regulation system is configured to generate heat in the vicinity of the viewing panel of the housing so as to increase the temperature of at least the view port above ambient temperature.

The aspects of the disclosed embodiments generally relate to an apparatus which allows for the controlled addition of antifoam to the foam present in the headspace of a disposable single-use bioreactor in a reliable manner. The aspects of the disclosed embodiments also generally relate to a method of using such apparatus which allows for the controlled addition of antifoam to the foam present in the headspace of a disposable single-use bioreactor in a reliable manner. The aspects of the disclosed embodiments generally relate to antifoam systems, methods and apparatus, and more particularly, to an antifoam device operably connected to a single use biobag.

A vessel configured to contain a liquid is provided. The vessel includes a collapsible bad, a reusable support structure, a sensor, and a controller. The collapsible bag is operative to contain the liquid. The reusable support structure is operative to support the collapsible bag. The sensor is operative to measure a parameter within the collapsible bag. The controller is in electronic communication with the sensor and operative to introduce an antifoaming agent into the collapsible bag based at least in part on a signal received from the sensor.

An adjustable foam sensor system is disclosed. The adjustable foam sensor system can include an adjustable foam sensor coupled to a transition member with a foam probe extending from the transition member. The adjustable foam sensor system can also include an adjustable housing that can be coupled to a container interface for interfacing with a container of a fluid processing system. The adjustable housing can be configured to be compressed or extended in response to a force, which in turn can reposition or move the adjustable foam sensor in the container. A controller can automatically adjust the adjustable foam sensor based on sensed and/or determined fluid levels, as well as control the delivery of anti-foam for reducing foam in the container.