Patent ID: 6022742
Filing Date: 2000-02-08
Classification: B01D,C12M,Y10S

Abstract:
A culturing system, comprising:(a) a medium reservoir for containing a growth medium, and having inlet and outlet ports;(b) a mass transfer device having first and second ends, said mass transfer device being selected from the group consisting of hollow fiber mass transfer devices and stacked plate filters;(c) a pump including inlet and discharge ports for pumping the growth medium from the medium reservoir to the mass transfer device;(d) a sterile barrier tangential flow membrane device connected to the mass transfer device, said sterile barrier tangential flow membrane device being selected from the group consisting of hollow fiber mass transfer devices and stacked plate filters;(e) means for harvesting microorganisms grown in the mass transfer device, such harvesting means being selectively openably and closably coupled with the mass transfer device;(f) medium flow control means comprising flow ports designated A, B, C, and D for connecting:(i) in a first configuration, port A in flow communication with B, and port C in flow communication with port D; and(ii) in a second configuration, port A in flow communication with port D, and port B in flow communication with port C; and(g) conduits connecting the pump discharge port to port C, the pump inlet to the reservoir outlet port, the reservoir inlet port to port A, the mass transfer device first end to the port B and the mass transfer device second end to port D.