Mixing vessel

A mixing vessel (1) designed to receive biopharmaceutical contents (C) for mixing thereof, said mixing vessel comprising:

• 1) a flexible container (2), comprising:
• i) a wall (3) that has a lower portion (3a), a side portion (3b), and an upper portion (3c), the wall delimiting an inside space (4) that receives a certain amount of the biopharmaceutical contents (C), the wall having introduction openings (5a) and a drain opening (6a), and
• ii) one or more ports (5), at corresponding one of more of the introduction openings (5a), the one or more ports (5) located to introduce the contents (C) or components of the contents (C) into the container (2);
• 2) a mixing unit (7), the mixing unit (7) comprising:
• i) a motor (9),
• ii) at least one mixing element (10) located within the inside space (4) delimited by the wall (3), wherein when driven in rotation, the at least one mixing element (10) mixes the contents (C) within the inside space (4), and
• iii) at least one shaft (8) operatively connected to the motor (9) and the at least one mixing element (10), the shaft (8) driven in rotation by motor (9) and driving in rotation the at least one mixing element (10);
• 3) an aeration means (13) arranged and configured to deliver to the contents (C) a certain amount of aeration gas, the aeration means (13) comprising:
• i) a dispensing means (15) that dispenses aeration gas, the dispensing means comprising at least one extended dispensing element (15a) with a wall that allows passage of bubbles of aeration gas, the dispensing element being located in the inside space (4) toward the lower portion (3a) of the wall (3) of the container (2), and
• ii) an aeration gas intake means (14) having at least one tubular aeration gas intake element (14a) that extends in fluid communication from an outside of the container (2) to the at least one extended dispensing element (15a) of the dispensing means (15), and
• 4) a combined contents drain and lower bearing port, located at the drain opening (6a) adjacent to the lower portion (3a) of the wall (3) of the container (2), and operatively connected to work with a lower portion (8a) of the shaft (8), wherein the combined contents drain and lower bearing port comprises a flange (16), the flange (16) provided with a drain passage (17) in fluid communication on a first side within the inside space (4) and on an opposite second side with the outside of the container (2), wherein the flange (16) is attached to the lower portion (3a) of the wall (3) of the container (2) around the drain opening (6a) with the drain passage (17) and the drain opening (6a) in fluid communication therebetween, and an upper portion of the flange (16) includes a lower bearing (11) within the inside space (4), adjacent to the drain passage (17) without preventing the fluid communication between the drain passage (17) and the drain opening (6a),
• wherein the at least one extended dispensing element (15a) is spaced radially around the combined contents drain and lower port,
• wherein the at least one tubular aeration gas intake means (14) extends from the at least one extended dispensing element (15a), in the inside space (4), along an inside surface of the lower portion (3a) and the side portion (3b) of the wall (3) of the container (2) and extends to the outside of the container (2) from, or from a vicinity of, the upper portion (3c) of the wall (3) of the container (2),
• wherein the at least one mixing element (10) is spaced from the lower portion (3a) of the wall (3) of the container (2), from the lower bearing (11), and from at least one extended element (15a), and
• wherein, in operation of the mixing vessel, the bubbles of the aeration gas dispensed from the at least one extended dispensing element (15a) are distributed in the contents (C) by a first distribution in a lower region of the inside space (4) that is adjacent to the lower portion (3a) of the wall (3) of the container (2), by the at least one extended dispensing element (15a) and by a second distribution by the at least one mixing element (10) in an entirety of the inside space (4) of the container (2).