Automatic substance preparation and evaluation systems and methods are provided for preparing and evaluating a fluidic substance, such as e.g. a sample with bodily fluid, in a container and/or in a dispense tip. The systems and methods can detect volumes, evaluate integrities, and check particle concentrations in the container and/or the dispense tip.

An orbital shaker device (1) for biotechnological and/or biomedical applications comprises a frame (10), a platform (15) for receiving biotechnological and/or biomedical containers (50), eccentric couplings (13, 14) for allowing an orbital movement of the platform (15) relative to the frame (10), counterweight units (17, 18) for balancing the orbital movement, and at least one motor (19) for driving the eccentric couplings (13, 14). The device comprises two eccentric couplings (13, 14) arranged near respective opposite edges (27, 28) of the platform (15), while each counterweight unit (17, 18) is arranged approximately in the plane of the combined center of gravity of the platform (15) and the containers (50). Furthermore, both eccentric couplings (13, 14) are driven by the motor (19) or motors, either directly or indirectly. In this way, an optimal vibration compensation is achieved while allowing an imaging unit (40) to be mounted underneath the platform (15).

A device for determining and monitoring the physiological state of microbial cultures in each individual microbioreactor of a microtiter plate, wherein a gas space of each microbioreactor of the microtiter plate is accessible via an inlet opening and outlet opening, includes means for shaking the microtiter plate and a gas supply system suitable for purging the gas space of each microbioreactor with a stream of purge gas in a purging phase. A shut-off device is arranged directly on each microbioreactor for interrupting the stream of purge gas. The flow resistances in the gas supply system and the flow resistance of each microbioreactor are configured so that the stream of purge gas in the purging phase is substantially equal in all of the microbioreactors. The device includes a measuring device configured to detect the physiological state of the microbial culture in each individual microbioreactor.

A cell analysis apparatus including: a cell image acquisition unit that acquires an image of cells in a culture vessel in which cells are cultured; a smoothing processing unit that smooths luminance values in the image acquired by the cell image acquisition unit; a minimum-value detecting unit that detects minimum values of the luminance values smoothed by the smoothing processing unit; a smallest-minimum-value extracting unit that extracts smallest minimum values which are the smallest in regions according to the sizes of the cells, from the minimum values detected by the minimum-value detecting unit; a counting unit that counts the number of smallest minimum values extracted by the smallest-minimum-value extracting unit; and a cell-count calculating unit that calculates the number of cells in the culture vessel on the basis of the number of smallest minimum values counted by the counting unit.

A system, device and method for electroporation of living cells and the introduction of selected molecules into the cells utilizes a fluidic system where living cells and biologically active molecules flow through a channel that exposes them to electric fields, causing the molecules to be transferred across the cell membrane. The device is structured in a manner that allows precise control of the cells location, motion, and exposure to electric fields within the flow channel device. The method is particularly well suited for the introduction of DNA, RNA, drug compounds, and other biologically active molecules into living cells.

A method of controlling a bioreactor system includes providing a cell culture in a bioreactor, wherein conditions in the bioreactor enable the cell culture to produce a protein of interest (POI), measuring process parameters (PPs) of the culture within the bioreactor by RAMAN, wherein the process parameters are selected from the group consisting of nutrient concentration, viable cell concentration, and protein attributes, measuring a predetermined weight of the bioreactor with the cell culture, removing cell-free spent media from the cell culture using a first output conduit at a first specified rate, removing cells from the cell culture using a second output conduit at a second specified rate, and introducing one or both of fresh media or nutrients into the cell culture using an input conduit at a third specified rate.

Provided is a sample image management system that uses a cell culture vessel including a plurality of microwells and a plurality of first identifiers provided to the respective microwells in pairs. The sample image management system analyzes, in an enlarged sample image including a pair of the first identifier and the microwell, the microwell and the first identifier, and associates at least position information on the microwell with the enlarged sample image.

A cytometric mechanism includes: a flow path through which a cell suspension is made to flow; a liquid drive unit for sending the cell suspension which is in the flow path; and a computation unit for irradiating, with irradiation light from a light source, a cell suspension flowing through a flow cell, and for finding a cell survival rate in the cell suspension on the basis of a resulting forward scattered light intensity and transmittance and/or side scattered light intensity. The invention is provided with a calibration curve database for storing, in advance, respective calibration curves indicative of a relationship between viable cell concentration and forward scattered light intensity, a relationship between dead cell concentration and the transmittance, and a relationship between a cell survival rate and the side scattered light intensity.

The present invention is directed to a multi-organ-chip device comprising a base layer; an organ layer arranged on the base layer; an antra layer arranged on the organ layer; and an actuator layer; wherein the base layer is configured to provide a solid support for the further layers; the organ layer is configured to comprise a multiplicity of individual organ equivalents, each organ equivalent comprising one or more organ growth sections, each of the organ growth sections being configured to comprise an organoid cavity for housing at least one organoid of an organ and to comprise a micro-inlet and a micro-outlet for fluid communication between the organoid cavity of the organ growth section and a self-contained circulation system, wherein the organ layer comprises at least one organ equivalent configured to represent the organs lung, small intestine, spleen, pancreas, liver, kidney and bone marrow, respectively, and a self-contained circulation system configured to be in direct fluid communication with the organ growth sections of the organ layer via the micro inlets and outlets of the organ growth sections; the antra layer is configured to comprise a multiplicity of cavities and tubes arranged to be in fluid communication with selected organ equivalents or organ growth sections in order to allow for exchange of fluids between cavities and organ growth sections; and the actuator layer is configured to comprise a multiplicity of actuators arranged and configured to regulate a pressure force applied on a selected organ equivalent, the self-contained circulation system and/or part thereof.

A cell culture module, a cell culture system and a cell culture method are provided. The cell culture module includes a casing, a first fixer, a second fixer and a sheet-shaped carrier member. The casing has a chamber and at least one inlet/outlet. The inlet/outlet communicates with the chamber. The first fixer is fixed to the casing and located in the chamber. The second fixer is disposed in the chamber and is movable relative to the first fixer. The sheet-shaped carrier member is formed by arranging a plurality of cell culture carriers, and two opposite ends of the sheet-shaped carrier member are respectively fixed to the first fixer and the second fixer. The sheet-shaped carrier member is in an open state or a folded state according to a variation in a distance between the first fixer and the second fixer due to a movement of the second fixer.