A cell cultivation apparatus for cultivating microorganisms and growing cells at high density is provided. The apparatus includes a membrane comprising multiple surface features on a first side of the membrane for cell placement. The surface features comprising one or more compartments within which a cell can be located. The membrane includes a material that is at least partially permeable to gas. A second side of the membrane defines a gas region. The second side of the membrane is separated from the first side of the membrane by the membrane. The apparatus further includes a media region for receiving media. The compartments are configured to at least partially reduce media flow shear forces on one or more cells in the compartments. The surface features may be ridges, protrusions, fins, wells, and/or posts.

Provided is a novel sensor device for tracking position and process parameters in a container (e.g. a bioreactor) that comprises a position determination unit comprising an accelerometer and a pressure sensor, a microcontroller comprising the software algorithm to determine the position of the sensor, a power management unit, a process parameter sensor and a communication unit.

In an aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method for approximating product production in a bioreactor. The method comprises: providing a bioreactor containing live cells in a substrate, the bioreactor for cultivating, over a time period, a product derived from or of the cells during a manufacturing process; providing two or more sensors for measuring respective two or more different physical attributes of the substrate during the time period; receiving, at a processor, sensor data from the two or more sensors; and determining via the processor, based on a predetermined or recursive algorithm that correlates the sensor data and the product production by independent consideration of the sensor data of the two or more different physical attributes or by multivariate consideration of the sensor data of the two or more different physical attributes, an approximate amount of the product.

Method for operating an agitating device and a digester wherein the digester (1) is filled with a substrate (7) and wherein an agitating device (10) controlled by a control device (50) is disposed in the digester (1). The following process steps are carried out. a) A target load curve (60) is lodged in the control device (50) b) the control device (50) prescribes a target speed of rotation (61) c) the control device (50) operates the agitating device (10) at an actual speed of rotation (71) corresponding to the prescribed target speed of rotation (61); d) the control device captures an actual measurement value (81) which is characteristic of the torque of the agitating device (10) at the actual speed of rotation (71); e) the control device (50) derives from the actual measurement value (81) an actual characteristic value (91) of the applied torque of the agitating device (10); f) the control device (50) compares the derived actual characteristic value (73) against the target characteristic value (63) of the substrate (7) resulting from the target load curve (60) at the prescribed target speed of rotation (61); g) the control device (50) controls the agitating device (10) in dependence on the result of comparison.

A collapsible container for a fluid that includes a flexible material, defining an internal working volume; at least one collapsible baffle adhered within the working volume of said collapsible container, the at least one baffle having one or more channels for delivering one or more fluids into the working volume via at least one hole in said one or more channels, one or more channels in said container for exiting or venting fluids from the working volume, and an impeller assembly disposed at least partially within said working volume of said container.

Scale-up evaluation methods for algal biomass cultivation are provided, and more particularly, simultaneous scale-up evaluation methods for outdoor algal biomass cultivation are provided. The methods control various process variables to isolate the impact of scaling algal biomass cultivation, thereby permitting enhanced scale-up operation design to optimize the quality and quantity of algal biomass.

The bioenvironmental simulation device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one mounting unit on which cells to be measured are placed, a rotational force application unit configured to rotate the mounting unit so as to apply a rotational force to the cells to be measured placed on the mounting unit, and a culture liquid flow device through which a culture liquid flows across the mounting unit, wherein the culture liquid flows by the culture liquid flow device so as to apply a shear force to the cells to be measured.

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.

When detachment of a cell sheet from a culture dish has started at an unintended timing, immediately detach the cell sheet from the culture dish while preventing generation of wrinkles and the like in the cell sheet. A cell culture device captures an image of cells in the culture dish, and controls a cooling mechanism and a shaking mechanism based on the image so as to shake the cells while cooling them.

An object to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a culture method for cells, which makes it possible to suppress oxygen deficiency of cells in a case where the cell is 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, in which a relationship between a stirring power P/V per unit volume, a dissolved oxygen concentration CL0, and a viable cell density VCD satisfies a condition of Expression 1, in cell culture in which the viable cell density is 6010.sup.6 cells/mL or more.

0.0059exp[0.0243(P/V)]CL0/VCD1.1010.sup.17 Expression 1:

In the expression, L0 indicates a dissolved oxygen concentration [mol/mL]; VCD indicates a viable cell density [cells/mL]; and P/V indicates a stirring power [W/m.sup.3] per unit volume, which is defined by a predetermined expression.