Gas spargers and related container systems

A container system comprising:

• a bag comprised of one or more sheets of flexible polymeric material, the bag having an interior surface at least partially bounding a chamber, the chamber being adapted to hold a fluid;
• a flexible sparging sheet secured directly to the interior surface of the bag so that a compartment is formed between the interior surface of the bag and the sparging sheet, at least a portion of the sparging sheet allowing gas to pass therethrough;
• a tubular port or tube secured to the bag so that a passage bounded by the tubular port or tube communicates with the compartment;
• and
• a mixing element disposed within the chamber of the bag, the mixing element being spaced apart from the flexible sparging sheet.

A method for sparging a fluid with a gas, the method comprising:

• dispensing a fluid into a chamber of a bag, a flexible sparging sheet being secured to an interior surface of the bag so that a compartment is formed between the interior surface of the bag and the sparging sheet, at least a portion of the sparging sheet allowing gas to pass therethrough;
• delivering a gas to the compartment so that the gas passes through the at least a portion of the sparging sheet and into contact with the fluid in the chamber;
• and
• mixing the fluid within the chamber of the bag while delivering the gas to the compartment, the mixing being accomplished by a mixing element spaced apart from the sparging sheet.