Disclosed herein is a sterilizable adapter for a cell culture vessel comprising a body, an upper connection and/or a lid, at least one port, a ventilation passage, a lower internal connection suitable for connection to a cell culture vessel and a cell retention device and/or a cell separation device as well as a device comprising said sterilizable adapter and a method for cell cultivation using said sterilizable adapter.

Multi-layer cell culture devices and systems for culturing suspension and adherent cells via continuous gravity flow of culture media without the use of motorized equipment minimize the risk of contamination of the cell culture. A multi-layer cell culture device includes at least first and second chambers configured to contain fluid and to be fluidly connected such that fluid in the first chamber unidirectionally and continuously flows by gravity flow from the first chamber and into the second chamber. A multi-layer cell culture device can further include a third chamber configured to contain fluid and positioned below the second chamber such that fluid in the second chamber unidirectionally and continuously flows by gravity flow from the second chamber and into the third chamber. Methods of culturing cells using these devices and systems are also described.

The invention relates a method for producing a pharmaceutical composition, comprising the steps of: providing a liquid collected from a mammal, which liquid comprises cellular constituents of blood, providing a container having an internal surface, contacting said liquid with said internal surface, incubating said liquid contacted with said internal surface for an incubation time, wherein said liquid is agitated with an agitation means at least once during said incubation time, and after said incubation time has passed, obtaining said pharmaceutical composition by steps comprising (1) collecting said liquid or (2) removing part of or the entirety of said cellular constituents from said liquid and collecting the remainder.

Vessel closure assemblies are provided. The vessel closure assemblies may be engaged with vessels. The vessel closure assemblies may each include a vessel closure, inserts such as anchors and fluid conduits extending through the vessel closure, and a respiratory assembly. The respiratory assembly may include a housing and one or more gas permeable membranes. The gas permeable membranes may be oriented substantially perpendicular to a top wall of the vessel closure through which the inserts extend.

A plurality of caps are provided each with a visual coding of color and/or indicia for use with different sizes of bottles at least in accordance with a height of the bottles from a closed bottom end to an open top end for engaging each of the caps. Each of the caps has a tube mounted to, or through, an aperture extending through a top closed end of the cap to extend a selected length enabling one end of the tube to reach or extend along an interior surface of the bottom end of any of the bottles of the height to which the cap is coded for use therewith. The other end of tube is extendable to a bioreactor container. Each of the caps has another tube or port to another aperture of the cap to provide an air vent with an optional air filtering device.

A cap attaching/detaching device 20 is a device for attaching or detaching a cap 141 in which a screw portion is formed to or from a test tube 14 by rotating the cap 141. A cap grip portion 21 grips the cap 141. A rotation mechanism 22 attaches or detaches the cap 141 to or from the test tube 14 by rotating the cap 141 by rotating the cap grip portion 21. The rotation mechanism 22 has an axial portion 221, and a nut portion 222. The axial portion 221 has an outer peripheral surface on which a screw thread 223 is formed. The nut portion 222 has an inner peripheral surface on which a screw groove 224 to be screwed into the screw thread 223 of the axial portion 221 is formed, and rotatably holds the axial portion 221 in a fixed state. A pitch of the screw thread 223 is the same as a pitch of the screw portion formed in the cap 141.

This invention relates to methods and devices that improve cell culture efficiency. They include the use of gas permeable culture compartments that reduce the use of space while maintaining uniform culture conditions, and are more suitable for automated liquid handling. They include the integration of gas permeable materials into the traditional multiple shelf format to resolve the problem of non-uniform culture conditions. They include culture devices that use surfaces comprised of gas permeable, plasma charged silicone and can integrate traditional attachment surfaces, such as those comprised of traditional tissue culture treated polystyrene. They include culture devices that integrate gas permeable, liquid permeable membranes. A variety of benefits accrue, including more optimal culture conditions during scale up and more efficient use of inventory space, incubator space, and disposal space. Furthermore, labor and contamination risk are reduced.

The invention relates to a device for monitoring the temperature of a cryogenically preserved biological sample. The device (10) comprises a sample container (1) having a receptacle space (2) for accommodating a biological sample (6). The device further comprises at least one chamber (11), the interior (12) of which is not fluidically connected to the receptacle space, and which is at least partially filled with an indicator substance (7) having a boiling point or sublimation temperature in a range from −10° C. to −140° C. The chamber (11) further has at least one opening via which the indicator substance (7) can escape from the interior (12) of the chamber (11) upon exceeding its boiling point or sublimation point. The invention further relates to a method for monitoring the temperature of a cryogenically preserved biological sample.

A bioreactor and method of forming complex three-dimensional tissue constructs in a single culture chamber. The bioreactor and methods may be used to form multi-phasic tissue constructs having tissue formed from multiple cell types in a single culture chamber. The bioreactor includes at least one translation mechanism to facilitate translation of one or more tissue constructs without direct user intervention, thereby providing a closed, sterile environment for complex tissue fabrication. The bioreactor may be used as a stand-alone device or as part of a large-scale system including many bioreactors. The large-scale system may include a perfusion system to monitor and regulate the tissue culture environment.

A cell culture vessel includes a vessel body, support columns, and a stabilizer device. The vessel body defines a cell culture chamber enclosed between a bottom wall and a top wall. The support column is within the cell culture chamber and extends between the top wall and the bottom wall. The stabilizer device covers a width and length of the cell culture chamber and has a column engaging structure that is sized to slidingly engage the support column such that the stabilizer device is movable along the support column as a liquid culture medium is received in the cell culture chamber. The support column guides the stabilizer device along a length of the support column as the stabilizer device rises with rising liquid level in the cell culture chamber during a liquid culture medium filling operation.