Air-stirred tank reactor (astr) for production of microorganisms and cell cultures
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona
InventorsJoel L. Cuello, Jack Welchert, Andres P. Mayol, Mark Jendrisak
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Abstract
An air-stirred tank reactor (ASTR) and methods of use thereof are described herein. The ASTR is equipped with an impeller or set of impellers that mechanically mixes a liquid culture, as well as sparges gas into the liquid medium. The impeller can further have lighting sources that can illuminate the liquid culture. Unlike conventional bioreactors, the ASTR provides superior liquid mixing, efficient gas mass transfer, and a low-shear culture environment through appropriate impeller rotational speed and sparging rate.
Claims20
A gas-sparging mixing system (110) comprising at least one impeller (120) for circulating fluids, said impeller (120) having pores (125) disposed on a surface (122) of the impeller;
- and a gas-delivering channel (130) fluidly connected to the impeller (120), wherein the gas-delivering channel (130) is configured to transport gas through the impeller (120), wherein the gas exits through the pores (125) of the impeller, wherein the fluids being circulated by the impeller (120) is sparged with the gas exiting through the pores (125).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.