Abstract:
A method for cultivating cells utilizing wave motion comprises the steps of: providing a container; introducing a gas containing oxygen, a liquid medium and a cell culture into the container; moving the container such that the container swivels with respect to a substantially horizontal pivot axis to thereby induce a wave motion to the liquid medium in the container, which wave motion contributes to the necessary oxygen transfer and mixing required for cell growth. During said swivelling of the container said pivot axis follows a cyclical closed-loop path. Also provided is an apparatus for performing said method, and an assembly for said method. Further part of the invention are disposable bags for cell or bacterial culture of which the volume can be changed in situ by opening or closing compartments of the bag and/or bags with essentially straight corners.
Abstract:
A fluid mixer is disclosed which alters or changes the operation of the automatic clamping mechanism for different sizes, shapes and styles of containers. Removable and replaceable bottom plates are used on the lower base. These bottom plates have indicia on the resting surfaces thereof which provides the user with a clear indication as to which type of container is used with each plate surface. Typically, both surfaces of the replaceable/reversible bottom plates are used for different styles of containers. The bottom plate provides an identification to a sensor associated with a lower base for communicating a signal to the controller. By selecting the appropriate bottom plate and installing it on the lower base, a signal is generated and sent to the controller indicative of the type of container loaded into the mixing apparatus. The controller retrieves an appropriate algorithm or routine from its memory and imposes the appropriate clamping force by way of an upper plate that is lowered down into clamping engagement with a container or containers. Thus, one mixer can be used for a variety of different types, styles and sizes of containers.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a system and method for adequately securing the currently available metal and plastic containers for paint and other fluids as well as other foreseeable containers in an automated fashion without crushing or damaging the containers, without using any special adapters for particular container types and without operator intervention. To avoid crushing a plastic container, the disclosed system and method takes advantage of the compressibility of these less rigid plastic containers. It has been found that a plastic paint container can be safely clamped in place without structural damage if the clamp plate travel after engagement with the top of the container is limited to a certain value, for example, about 5/16″. When the compression amount if limited or controlled, the plastic container will not move or will move very little during a three minute violent shake cycle. Some conventional containers are not readily compressible, such a metal cans, drums or the larger (five gal.) plastic buckets or pails. To address the issue of these containers being used with the same machine as the new plastic containers, an increase in current or voltage drawn by the clamping motor is monitored after initial contact with the top(s) of the container(s), and if the increase reaches a threshold value, the motion of the upper clamping plate is stopped and an appropriate holding force is maintained.
Abstract:
Disclosed are methods for thawing frozen biopharmaceutical solutions including providing a container that contains a biopharmaceutical solution, at least a portion of the biopharmaceutical solution being frozen, providing an oscillatory driver coupled to the biopharmaceutical solution; providing a heat flux into the biopharmaceutical solution; and inducing oscillatory motion of the biopharmaceutical solution via oscillatory motion of the oscillatory driver to accelerate thawing, compared to motionless thawing, of the portion of the biopharmaceutical solution that is frozen. Also disclosed are devices for thawing frozen biopharmaceutical solutions.