New Brunswick Scientific Co., Inc.

David Freedman

Philip Snyder

Zheng Zhenbin

Shaul Reuveny

Yinliang Chen

Abe J Perle

Avinoam Kadouri

Zhenbin Zheng

Guozheng Wang

A method and apparatus cultivates anchorage and nonanchorage cell in a reactor. A reactor includes a basket type packed bed and an internal recirculation device. The basket includes a top and bottom portion for allowing medium to flow uniformly through the basket. Medium flows downwardly from the top of the basket through the basket for providing gentle flow and preventing removal of cells from the carrier. Preferably, the carrier is formed of a fiber matrix.

Method and apparatus for anchorage and suspension cell culture

The present invention relates to in-place sterilization of a fermentation vessel assembly and media. Media can be contained in reagent bottles placed on the fermentation vessel assembly or can be contained in a fermentation vessel which is part of the fermentation vessel assembly. A removable shroud covers the fermentation vessel assembly and media during sterilization. Steam is applied inside the shroud for raising the temperature within the shroud to a sterilization temperature.

Sterilization of fermentation equipment with shroud assembly

A sparger for use in microcarrier fermentation systems is provided which includes a narrow, vertically extending outer chamber defined by a solid wall and a wall formed by a screen, wherein air or other gas is forced under pressure through a tube to the bottom of the chamber and from there to a distribution member for the release of the gas upwardly into the chamber. The top of the chamber is provided with exit openings which communicate to a point above the surface of the medium. In an alternate embodiment, gas is released at the bottom of an inner chamber defined by a wall formed with a plurality of screened windows.

Sparger for fermentation and tissue culturing vessels

An improved agitator for use with a fermentation and tissue culturing vessel acting as a microcarrier culture vessel is provided. The agitator includes a hollow body assembly having an open end and a closed end and at least one tubulation communicating with the hollow body assembly at a location spaced from the open end thereof, the tubulation having an exit opening oriented such that movement of the agitator and the tubulation causes a suction or draft at the exit opening to cause flow of fluid from the open end of the hollow body assembly through the hollow body assembly and out through the tubulation exit opening. In this way, a microcarrier cell culture may be stirred in a smooth and non-erratic way thereby minimizing the detachment of the rounded growth cells from the microcarriers.

Agitator for a fermentation and tissue culturing vessel

A fluid dispenser pumps fluid in increments. The dispenser includes a computer which, on command, determines the volume of fluid dispensed per increment, the determined value constituting a calibration value which is stored in the memory of the computer. A controller which may include the computer as a component provides for dispensing a selected number of doses, each of a selected volume. The controller can also specify a time interval between the delivery of successive doses. The dispenser is particularly useful in combination with apparatus for charging petri dishes with agar.

Calibratable automatic fluid dispenser

A method and apparatus for filling petri dishes include the features of situating a stack of empty petri dishes at a dish-drop station where the stack rests with the lowermost petri dish of the stack on a stationary support. A moving structure engages this lowermost petri dish and moves it beyond the stationary support to a filling station, and during this movement of this lowermost petri dish to the filling station a lower dish member of the petri dish drops down from an upper lid member thereof and remains spaced beneath the upper lid member while being supported by a movable support which carries the lower dish member to the filling station. At the filling station a nozzle of a pump becomes situated in the space between the upper lid member and the lower dish member of the petri dish and fills a given quantity of agar into the lower dish member, whereupon this latter member and the upper lid member spaced thereover are moved to an elevating station. At the elevating station a suitable elevating structure engages the filled lower dish member and raises it into the upper lid member so as to close the filled petri dish, the latter then continuing its upward movement to become situated on a plate. These operations are repeated for each empty petri dish which drops onto the stationary support so that while the empty petri dishes of an empty stack are being removed therefrom one by one to be filled, a stack of filled petri dishes is simultaneously being formed at the elevating station.

Method and apparatus for filling petri dishes

A vessel, containing a culture medium or laboratory ware, is brought rapidly to sterilization temperature by circulating a mixture of steam and superheated water through a closely spaced jacket. The mixture of steam and superheated water is generated in a portion of the sterilizer which is exterior to the jacket and said mixture is circulated without the use of a pump. The sterilizer can be made in sizes small enough for bench-top operation and the sterilization procedure can be carried out with automatic control.

Growing community of inventors

Highland Park, NJ, United States of America

David Freedman