An apparatus for culturing cells with enhanced gas transfer and thermal regulation is provided. The apparatus includes a bioreactor with a cell culture bed, such as a fixed structured bed. A pump, such as an agitator, serves to pump liquid through the cell culture bed, and a container is provided for the agitator. A first conduit may be associated with the container, such as by being connected to it or adjacent an opening into it. The bioreactor may also include flow extenders to enhance the gas transfer to a liquid used as media to culture the cells, as well as optional thermoregulators. Related methods are also disclosed.

An extraction apparatus for a fermentation medium comprises an extraction chamber configured to receive a fermentation medium and comprising a lower portion and an upper portion above the lower portion, as well as a feed device configured to feed at least one gas and one liquid into the lower portion of the extraction chamber, as well as a discharge opening arranged in the upper portion of the extraction chamber and configured to drain a washout liquid, loaded with microorganisms, from the extraction chamber.

The present disclosure provides advantageous rotary interfaces for fluid assemblies (e.g., rotary interfaces for fluid flow in bioreactor applications), and related methods of fabrication and use. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved rotary interfaces for fluid flow through porous impellers for filtration and/or sparging for fluid assemblies (e.g., bioreactor applications), and related methods of fabrication and use. Disclosed herein is a fluid assembly (e.g., bioreactor) that includes a porous impeller which is in fluid communication with a hollow shaft that can be used to transport a reaction fluid to an external storage tank or the like. The fluid assembly/bioreactor can include a coupling mechanism that transmits rotary motion from a motor to a primary shaft and then to a hollow secondary shaft, while at the same time permitting removal of a filtrate from the fluid assembly or bioreactor via the hollow secondary shaft and a porous impeller.

The present invention relates to a gassing unit for bubble-free introduction of a process gas into a liquid located in a reactor, wherein the gassing unit comprises at least: a first gas receiving chamber and, spaced therefrom, a second gas receiving chamber for receiving a process gas, the two gas receiving chambers being connected to one another via at least two two-dimensional, gas-conducting diffusion membranes comprising hollow fibers spaced apart from one another and at least partially fixed to one another; a receptacle for a gas supply on at least one of the gas receiving chambers; a receptacle for a shaft on at least one of the gas receiving chambers;
wherein the gassing unit for gassing the liquid in the reactor can be supplied with process gas via the gas supply receptacle, can be set into a rotational movement via the receptacle for the shaft and can form a convection flow within the reactor via the rotational movement of the gassing unit in the liquid. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for gassing a process liquid, a gas-liquid reactor comprising a gassing unit according to the invention, and the use of a gassing unit according to the invention for supplying biological cultures with process gases.

The devices, methods and systems are described for providing controlled amounts of gas, gas pressure and vacuum to microfluidic devices the culturing of cells under flow conditions. The devices, methods, and systems contemplated here may also be used to control the environment surrounding the microfluidic devices; offer user control over experiments comprising microfluidic devices, such as the ability to directly or remotely control experiment conditions; and comprise information aggregation and transmission, such that experimental data may be collected, stored, aggregated and transmitted to users.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for recycling gas in a reactor. An example of gas-recycling system comprises: a housing, a gas conduit, and a powered propeller. The housing encloses a gas space and a liquid space, wherein the gas space is configured to collect gas within a reactor. The powered propeller comprises a shaft having an upper end and a lower end; and a plurality of radial blades connected to the lower end of the shaft. Upon rotation of the powered propeller, the powered propeller is configured to: generate a suction to cause the collected gas to flow from the gas space to the liquid space through the conduit; cause fluid of the reactor to flow in a direction from the upper end of the shaft to the lower end of the shaft; and mix the liquid and the collected gas proximate the powered propeller.

There is described a fermentation tank for the multiplication of microorganisms, particularly a vertical fermentation tank comprising aeration and agitation elements with low cost and high efficiency. Particularly, a fermentation tank for the multiplication of microorganisms (100) comprising an external structure (10) of longitudinal axis (L) and an inner container (20) which receives a mixture to be fermented, the fermentation tank (100) comprising an aeration and agitation element (30) arranged in the inner container (20) collinear with the longitudinal axis (L), the aeration and agitation element (30) comprising internally a plurality of sets of fins (40), each set of fins (40) being arranged axially parallel to each other along the longitudinal axis (L) to provide aeration and agitation of the mixture to be fermented.

The present invention is a manufacturing method for producing fermentation products using a fermentation vessel, including steps of: preparing a fermentation vessel and a sensor, introducing liquid into the fermentation vessel, and operating the fermentation vessel in which properties of liquid in the fermentation vessel are measured to adjust operating conditions; wherein the sensor device has a sensor for measuring liquid properties and a sensor cover body; a bottom permeable portion for passing liquid and crystals in the liquid is disposed on the bottom surface of the cover body, and a top permeable portion for passing liquid and crystals in the liquid is disposed on the top surface of the cover body; micropores are respectively formed in the bottom permeable portion and the top permeable portion; and micropores disposed in the top permeable portion are the same or larger than micropores disposed in the top permeable portion.

A fluid transfer assembly for single use bioreactors includes a fluid transfer housing that can be mounted to the impeller shaft using a bearing that places the fluid transfer assembly directly below the lowest impeller but allows the impeller shaft to spin inside independently of the fluid transfer assembly. A fluid conduit connects the fluid transfer housing to a port in the single use bag wall which allows fluids to be introduced into the sparger and which also helps prevent the fluid transfer assembly from rotating with the impeller shaft.

A biopharmaceutical liquid reservoir, includes a bag forming an inner storage space for storing a biopharmaceutical liquid, a mechanical member located at a wall of the bag, having: a stationary set of parts that is stationary with respect to the wall of the bag, a rotating set of parts rotating about an axis of rotation with respect to the stationary set, a bearing located between the two sets and, inside the bag, a communication passage: separating the bearing from the inner storage space, including one or more changes of direction, being formed by a portion of the parts of the rotating set located opposite a portion of the parts of the stationary set.