Method of culturing cells in a flow-through cell cultivation system

Abstract

A flow-through cell cultivation apparatus and method is described. The flow-through cell cultivation system comprises a flowcell, a chamber inside the flowcell for holding cells, and a flowcell holder. The flowcell has a lower intake port for flowing liquid nutrient through a cellbed inside the flowcell and an upper outlet port for flowing the liquid nutrient out of the flowcell. The flowcell also includes a chuck for receipt of a thermal probe. The probe is made of electromagnetically non-interactive material. The flowcell is enclosed inside the flowcell holder. The flowcell holder includes a pair of intake ports into a cavity having an open end at the flowcell for turbulently flowing a temperature controlled gas against the flowcell. The cavity has rough walls to promote the turbulent flow. The flowcell holder includes an exhaust port for flowing the gas out of the flowcell holder which also serves as a port for another thermal probe. A one-way valve prevents flow of the liquid nutrient out of the chamber through the intake port. Temperature controlled air is supplied to the flowcell holder by dividing air from an air supply into two conduits. One conduit travels through a coil inside a refrigerated liquid bath and the other through a coil inside a heated liquid bath. The heated and cooled air are recombined to make an even temperature air supply which is then divided once more to provide the two air supplies for creating a turbulent supply of temperature controlled air through the two flowcell holder intake ports. The flowcell may include on one side a semi-permeable membrane for introducing a gas/liquid interface to the cellbed.