Bioreactor
OwnerIan Malcolm Wrightinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bioreactor including a substantially horizontal containing vessel having a base and at least one upstanding side-wall, at least one inlet located at a lower portion of the containing vessel, at least one outlet located at an upper portion of the containing vessel, an upper wall having a reflective material associated there with, at least one light source associated with the upper wall, and at least one light tube associated with each light source extending substantially the length of at least one sidewall of the vessel, the light tube provided adjacent an upper edge of the at least one sidewall and having a reflective lining to direct light from the light source across the upper wall.
Claims23
A bioreactor including a substantially horizontal containing vessel having a base and at least one upstanding sidewall, at least one inlet located at a lower portion of the containing vessel, at least one outlet located at an upper portion of the containing vessel, at least one light source and at least one diffuser, the bioreactor operable in a growth mode in which the at least one inlet to the containing vessel and the at least one outlet are closed, gas or other material beneficial to the growth of the biological material is bubbled through the liquid growth media contained in the containing vessel via the diffuser, and wherein the biological material floats on the liquid growth media as it grows until a satisfactory amount of the biological material has accumulated in the floating layer, and the bioreactor is switched to the extraction mode in which the at last one inlet is opened and liquid is pumped into the containing vessel to raise the level in the vessel such that as the biological material via reaches the level of the at least one outlet, the biological material layer can be removed from the top of the liquid with minimal liquid removed.
A bioreactor including a substantially horizontal containing vessel having a base and at least one upstanding sidewall, at least one inlet located at a lower portion of the containing vessel, at least one outlet located at an upper portion of the containing vessel, an upper wall having a reflective material associated there with, at least one light source associated with the upper wall, and at least one light tube associated with each light source extending substantially the length of at least one sidewall of the vessel, the light tube provided adjacent an upper edge of the at least one sidewall and having a reflective lining to direct light from the light source across the upper wall.
(canceled)
A bioreactor as claimed in 2 operable in a growth mode in which the at least one inlet to the containing vessel and the at least one outlet are closed, gas or other material beneficial to the growth of the biological material is bubbled through the liquid growth media contained in the containing vessel via a diffuser, and wherein the biological material floats on the liquid growth media as it grows until a satisfactory amount of the biological material has accumulated in the floating layer, whereupon the bioreactor is switched to an extraction mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.