Portable cassette for use in maintaining and growing biological cells

A portable cell growth apparatus operable in a succession of process stages to maintain and grow biological cells, comprising:

• a first casing that defines a cell growth chamber configured to carry a quantity of biological cells and growth media;
• a media container connected to the cell growth chamber and configured to carry growth media for delivery to the growth chamber;
• a waste container connected to the cell growth chamber and configured to carry media discharged from the growth chamber;
• wherein the cell growth chamber, the media container, and the waste container are connected together to form a sterile system, closed to the external environment;
• and
• an interface configured to be engageable individually with a succession of instruments and to be controlled by each instrument such that the apparatus implements a predetermined stage of a cell maintenance and growth process, without exposing the closed, sterile system to the external environment, wherein the interface includes a flow control device that is mechanically engageable with a mechanical control system of each instrument, for controllably transporting growth media through the cell growth chamber, from the media container to the waste container.

A portable cell growth apparatus for maintaining and growing biological cells, comprising:

• means for defining a cell growth chamber configured to carry a quantity of biological cells and growth media, such means including a gas-permeable/liquid-impermeable membrane defining a portion of the cell growth chamber;
• means for defining a gas chamber located on the side of the membrane opposite the cell growth chamber and for supplying a predetermined gas to the gas chamber;
• a media container connected by a first media flow path to the cell growth chamber and configured to carry growth media;
• a waste container connected to the cell growth chamber by a second media flow path and configured to carry media discharged from the growth chamber;
• a harvest container connected to the cell growth chamber by a third media flow path and configured to carry growth media and biological cells harvested from the cell growth chamber;
• wherein the cell growth chamber, the media container, the waste container, the harvest container, and the first, second, and third media flow paths are connected together to form a closed, sterile system configured to be sterilizable as a unit;
• means for pressurizing the growth media contained within the media container, without disturbing the closed, sterile system;
• and
• an interface configured to be engageable individually with a succession of instruments and to be controlled by each instrument such that the apparatus implements a predetermined stage of a cell maintenance and growth process, without exposing the closed sterile system to the external environment, wherein the interface includes a flow control device that is mechanically engageable with a mechanical control system of each instrument, for controllably transporting growth media through the cell growth chamber, from the media container to the waste container;
• wherein, in a first stage, the apparatus is conditioned to prime the cell growth chamber with growth media from the media container, without exposing the closed, sterile system to the external environment;
• wherein, in a second stage, the apparatus is conditioned to allow the cell growth chamber to be inoculated with biological cells;
• wherein, in a third stage, the apparatus is conditioned to maintain and grow inoculated cells in the cell growth chamber while growth media is transported through the cell growth chamber, from the media container to the waste container, without exposing the closed, sterile system to the external environment;
• and wherein, in a fourth stage, the apparatus is conditioned such that biological cells are transported from the cell growth chamber to the harvest container, without exposing the closed, sterile system to the external environment.