A 5-liter bioreactor vessel enables a substantial increase in the volume of biological media that can be cultivated in the vessel compared to conventional designs. Moreover, when agitated at 1.5 the shaking frequency of a conventional 3-liter bioreactor (i.e., 90 rpm versus 60 rpm), the 5-liter vessel achieves a 19% increase in cell aeration without exceeding the maximum shear stress limit for cell viability. The 5-liter vessel optionally includes a plurality of internal baffles configured to disrupt the liquid vortex and reduce the maximum shear stress transferred to biomedia contained within the vessel.

A scalable horizontal single use pressurizable modular multi-agitated portable fermentor for culturing microorganisms is provided. The fermentor is suitable for use in laboratories, research and development facilities and large scale production facilities, particularly modular portable clean room facilities. The product contact sterile bag is constructed of a thin film polymer three dimensional bag incorporating a single use or reuseable magnetic drive impeller fully contained in a stainless steel bag retention vessel designed to permit the bag to be pressurized. Typical control parameters are utilized to facilitate oxygen transfer rate for optimal microbial growth, metabolism, and recombinant protein product formation. Scaling-out consists of extending the base design with additional horizontal modules each with its own independent agitator. Scaling-up consists of utilizing horizontal bag retention vessels and bags with larger internal diameters having impellers geometrically scaled to deliver consistent power per unit volume for consistent performance as the process volumes are increased. An industry standard Rushton Turbine impeller modified to remove all sharp corners will be used for the basic design with an option for a proprietary curved blade impeller where high sparge gas rates are needed to support growth to high cell densities.

Disclosed herein is an improved rocked bioreactor system used for carrying out cell and tissue cultures.

Separating apparatus, comprising a sedimentation settler and a collection vessel disposed underneath and being in fluid communication with the sedimentation settler, the collection vessel forming a receiving chamber having an outlet at or adjacent to the chamber bottom and having an inlet opening, wherein the collection vessel is arranged such the flow direction of the fluid in the area underneath the sedimentation settler is substantially in line with the direction of the channels of the sedimentation settler.

Systems and methods relating to dynamic spargers for generating fine bubbles within reactors such as biological and chemical reactors. A sparger system is positioned within a reactor and comprises a support plate, multiple annular shrouds engaged with the support plate, and spargers positioned within the annular shrouds defining a gap between an interior surface of the annular shroud and an exterior surface of the corresponding sparger. Liquid flows through the defined gap between an interior surface of the annular shroud and an exterior surface of the sparger. Acceleration of the liquid through the gap shears bubbles at the exterior surface of the sparger creating bubbles or fine bubbles.

An inflatable bioreactor bag for cell cultivation, which comprising a top and a bottom sheet of flexible material, joined together to form two end edges and two side edges, wherein one baffle or a plurality of baffles extend from the bottom sheet in a region where the shortest distance to any one of the two end edges is higher than about one fourth of the shortest distance between the two end edges.

The subject matter herein provides a biotic method for recovering one or more hydrocarbons from a feedstock that includes one or more of oil shale, bituminous tar sand, coal and cellulous at atmospheric temperature and pressure. The method comprises loading the feedstock into a container, treating the feedstock in the container with a biomedium of micro-organisms, and forming an essentially liquid mixture from the feedstock and the biomass by rotary tumbling the feedstock and the biomedium in the container. The essentially liquid mixture is then separated into the one or more hydrocarbons by centrifuging.

This disclosure describes an improved heat transfer system for use in reaction vessels used in chemical and biological processes. In one embodiment, a heat transfer baffle comprising two sub-assemblies adjoined to one another is provided.

Disclosed is a heat exchange module for use in a chemical, pharmaceutical or biological reactor system, the module configured to be disposed in the reactor system having a flexible single use container, and including at least one thermally conductive surface adapted to contact the flexible single use container to facilitate heat transfer, and a fluid circulation path through which a heat exchange fluid can be circulated.

A sampling system includes a graduated sampling chamber configured for fluid connection to a sample source, a pump device configured for fluid connection with the sampling chamber, and a sterile air filter intermediate the pump device and the sampling chamber, wherein the pump device is selectively actuatable to draw a volume of fluid from the sample source into the sampling chamber.