Heraeus Instruments Gmbh

Heraeus Sepatech Gmbh

Eppendorf Ag

Eckart Kopowski

Dieter Schroder

Hans-Otto Nagels

Helmut Kocher

Heinz-Gerhard Kohn

Jochen Beese

Sven Eikelmann

Sebastian Selzer

Matthias Arnold

Christian Hirsch

Christopher Gunther

A single-use bioreactor, suitable in particular for use in a parallel bioreactor system for applications in cell culture and/or microbiology, a head plate for such a single-use bioreactor and a process for manufacturing the single-use bioreactor and the head plate. The single-use bioreactor comprises a head plate, a dimensionally stable container and a mixer, the head plate and the container enclosing a reaction chamber, and the mixer having a mixer shaft and a stirring member, said mixer shaft being mounted rotatably about a rotational axis in a bearing and the stirring member being fastened torsionally rigidly to the mixer shaft. The mixer and the bearing are arranged entirely within the reaction chamber and the mixer shaft has a magnetic portion which is arranged and adapted in such a way that it can be coupled magnetically in an axial direction to a rotary drive.

Single-use bioreactor and head plate, and a process for manufacturing same

Method and apparatus for co-culturing cells

The purpose of the present invention is to attain optimal gas exchange, nutrient supply and disposal of metabolic waste products without contamination during high-density cell cultivation of adherent cells. The culture vessel of the present invention provides methods and apparatus for the cultivation of cells on a three-dimensional carrier in a closed cell culture chamber, the supply with oxygen taking place across a gas-permeable gas exchange membrane bordering the cell culture chamber and the supply with nutrients taking place across a dialysis membrane bordering the cell culture chamber, across which nutrients are transported and across which metabolic products are removed, without the danger of contaminating the cells during contact with the tools necessary for manually separating the cells being cultivated from the nutrient medium. The cell culture chamber of the present invention features a vessel that is impermeable to fluids on all sides except for the boundary formed by the dialysis membrane. This makes it possible to move the cell culture intensively within a fluid nutrient supply medium. It is neither necessary to open the cell culture chamber during cultivation to introduce new nutrients, nor is it necessary for the design to include components which reach into the cell culture chamber, and form an additional source of contamination. The gas exchange membrane is detachable to allow removal of the cultivated cells in a uniform layer on the carrier, and the carrier is bio-degradable to eliminate the need to remove the cells from the carrier prior to use, such as in the transplantation of skin for example.

Culture vessel for cell cultures on a carrier

To eliminate welds when forming connections from coupling joints of membrane filter structures having two external housing plates between which a membrane filter assembly (3, 4) is positioned, one (2) of the housing plates (1, 2) is formed with a bored or milled, essentially circular recess at each one of the locations where fluid connection couplings (6-9) are to be placed, the fluid connection couplings being formed by a plug element which is clamped in sealing engagement against a sealing bottom wall surface (13) of the respective recess. To provide absolute tightness, even of molecular substances such as bacteria, tissue elements, yeasts and the like, a sealing ring, preferably an O ring (15) is placed in a groove (14) formed in the sealing wall surface (13).

Membrane filter system

A latch is known for a laboratory apparatus, for locking a cover or door on its housing, having a hook 12 in one of the parts to be locked and a lock 1 in the other. The lock has a pivotable locking element 3 with a claw-shaped opening 9 which engages the hook 12 against the pressure of a spring and is releasable from engagement with the hook by an actuating element 7. In order to provide a latch of this kind with means to meet strict safety requirements and ensure secure locking during operation of the apparatus, an additional closing element 4, opening element 5, and securing element 6, which engage one another, are disposed between the locking element 3 and the actuating element 7.

Latch for a laboratory apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Braunschweig, Germany

Eckart Kopowski