Acoustic perfusion devices for separating biological cells from other material in a fluid mixture are disclosed. The devices include an inlet port, an outlet port, and a collection port that are connected to an acoustic chamber. An ultrasonic transducer creates an acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber that permits a continuous flow of fluid to be recovered through the collection port while keeping the biological cells within the acoustic chamber to be returned to the bioreactor from which the fluid mixture is being drawn.

Medical instrument includes a substrate, in which cells are in contact with or held on a surface of the substrate, and at least the surface of the substrate which holds the cells is formed of a fluorine-containing cyclic olefin polymer which contains a repeating structure unit represented by Formula (1),

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wherein in Formula (1), at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 is fluorine, an alkyl with 1 to 10 carbon atoms which contains fluorine, an alkoxy with 1 to 10 carbon atoms which contains fluorine, or an alkoxyalkyl with 2 to 10 carbon atoms which contains fluorine, R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 are selected from hydrogen and certain non-fluorinated groups when R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 do not contain fluorine, R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 may be the same as or different from each other, and R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure.

Disclosed herein is a acoustic concentration of particles in a fluid flow that includes a substantially acoustically transparent membrane and a vibration generator that define a fluid flow path therebetween. The fluid flow path is in fluid communication with a fluid source and a fluid outlet and the vibration generator is disposed adjacent the fluid flow path and is capable of producing an acoustic field in the fluid flow path. The acoustic field produces at least one pressure minima in the fluid flow path at a predetermined location within the fluid flow path and forces predetermined particles in the fluid flow path to the at least one pressure minima.

Apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for cell recovery or cell separation. A cell separation system has at least a first container having a first filter for separating a first removal target from a suspension comprising cells and a removal target including at least the first removal target and a second removal target; a cell separation apparatus; a first flow path connecting the first container and the cell separation apparatus; and a first pump interposed in the first flow path for transferring the suspension from the first container to the cell separation apparatus by decompression suction, for example.

This invention relates to compositions of matter, methods, modules and instruments for automated mammalian cell growth and mammalian cell transduction followed by nucleic acid-guided nuclease editing in live mammalian cells.

A bioreactor is provided that includes a main reactor having a configuration selected from the group consisting of stirred and unstirred tank reactor, trickle bed reactor (TBR), cocurrent contactor (CCC), moving bed bioreactor (MBBR), and a bubble column reactor. The bioreactor also includes a growth reactor continuous with the main reactor and having a configuration selected from the group consisting of stirred and unstirred tank reactor, trickle bed reactor (TBR), cocurrent contactor (CCC), moving bed bioreactor (MBBR), and a bubble column reactor. A method is also provided where acetogenic bacteria are contacted with syngas in a growth fermentor section of a reactor vessel that is continuous with a main fermentor section of a reactor vessel.

A filter bag assembly includes: a flexible first sheet; a flexible second sheet overlying and secured to the first sheet so that a compartment is formed therebetween; a porous filter sheet disposed between the first sheet and the second sheet so as to divide the compartment into a first compartment and a second compartment; a first port secured to the second sheet so as to communicate directly with the first compartment; and a second port secured to the second sheet so as to communicate directly with the second compartment, the second port being spaced apart from the first port. The porous filter sheet is disposed so that fluid entering the first compartment through the first port must pass through the filter sheet before entering the second compartment or exiting through the second port.

An acoustic standing wave is utilized to separate components from a multi-component fluid, such as animal cells from fluid-cell mixture, in a fluid flow scheme with an acoustophoresis device. For example, the flow scheme and device allows for trapping of falling cells as the cells coalesce, agglomerate, and the weight of the agglomerated mass overcomes the drag and ultrasonic standing wave forces in the device.

A methane fermentation system which can efficiently generate methane gas is provided. The methane fermentation system decomposes an organic waste with an anaerobic microorganism to cause methane fermentation so as to generate the methane gas. The methane fermentation system includes a wet bead mill which finely pulverizes the organic waste. The methane fermentation system also includes a methane fermentation chamber in which the organic waste finely pulverized in the wet bead mill is decomposed with the anaerobic microorganism to cause the methane fermentation so as to generate the methane gas.

A filtration filter comprises a porous film including a central film portion having a plurality of through holes and an outer edge portion adjacent to the central film portion. The porous film portion lies in a flat plane in the absence of a force being applied to the central portion of the central film portion. A frame holds the outer edge portion of the porous film in such a manner that when a force is applied to the central film portion in a first direction, the central film portion moves in the first direction relative to the flat plane and the outer edge portion moves in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, relative to the flat plane. In this way stresses applied to the porous film during a filtering operation are reduced.