Patent ID: 8822208

Claim:
A bioreactor apparatus for performing biological and biochemical reactions comprising: a vessel comprising at least three separate and distinct ports, the ports comprising a mixing port, a reaction port, and a harvesting port; an agitator extending through the mixing port into the vessel; a reaction assembly extending through the reaction port into the vessel, the reaction assembly consists of: a) a gas conduit adapted to introduce gas into a reaction medium in the vessel; b) a sampling device adapted to remove a portion of the reaction medium from the vessel without contamination of the remaining reaction medium remaining in the vessel, wherein the sampling device consists of: i) a collection conduit extending into the vessel; ii) a sampling valve positioned in the collection conduit and disposed outside the vessel; and iii) an extractor associated with the collection conduit and disposed outside of the vessel and adapted to remove a sample portion of the reaction medium through the collection conduit; and c) an introduction conduit permitting the introduction of at least the reaction medium into the vessel, wherein the gas conduit, sampling device and introduction conduit have a unitary common support; wherein the unitary common support is removeably fixed to the reaction port such that the reaction assembly is placed in and removed from the reaction port as a unit; wherein the harvesting port consists of a dedicated harvesting outlet extending therethrough for the withdrawal of the reaction medium from the vessel, the dedicated harvesting outlet configured to be coupled to another vessel via a sanitary coupling.