Patent ID: 6054319
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: C12M,C12N

Abstract:
In a method for maintaining cells in a culture medium and removing the cells from the culture medium, the improvement which comprises:(a) providing a bed of magnetically susceptible bioparticles containing cells which are maintained in position in the bed by a magnetic field maintained by electrical power;(b) circulating a culture medium containing gas or liquid aphrons through the bed of bioparticles; and(c) removing a portion of the bioparticles from the bed, wherein the electrical power required to produce the magnetic field and maintain the bioparticles in the position in the bed with the gas aphrons is equal to or less than the power required to hold the bioparticles in position in a middle portion of the bed without the gas aphrons and less than with gas bubbles greater than 1 mm in diameter in place of the aphrons.