Arrangement for cultivating cells of animal and human tissues

An apparatus for cultivating cells of animal and human tissues, comprising a container which forms an inner chamber having an axis;

• means for introducing a nutrient medium into said inner chamber so as to at least partially fill the latter;
• a plurality of tubular cell supporting elements located in said chamber and extending substantially in an axial direction of the latter, each of said tubular cell supporting elements forming an inner passage and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner passage of each of said tubular cell supporting elements having an axis and two axially spaced open ends, so that the nutrient medium not only surrounds said tubular cell supporting elements from outside but also fills said inner passages, and cells are cultivated both on the inner surfaces and on the outer surfaces of said tubular cell supporting elements;
• means for rotating said tubular cell supporting elements about said axis of said inner chamber and including an axle defining said axis and connected with said tubular cell supporting elements for joint rotation therewith;
• and means for tilting said tubular cell supporting elements from the horizontal, so that one of said open ends of each of said inner passages is located above the other of said open ends, whereby the nutrient medium flows in each of said inner passages from said one end toward said other end, said tilting means including at least two discs arranged for connecting and supporting said tubular cell supporting elements wherein said tubular cell supporting elements are loosely fixed in said discs on said axle, said discs being turnable about said axis of said inner chamber of said container in two mutually opposite directions so as to tilt said tubular cell supporting elements from the horizontal.