Cell culture bag with internal dialysis membrane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016194589-A1
Application number	US-201414915808-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible bag for cell cultivation, comprising a cultivation compartment and at least one dialysis compartment, wherein the dialysis compartment(s) is/are delimited from the cultivation compartment by one or more dialysis membranes and is/are fluidically connected to a first and a second port in the bag.

First claim

1 . A flexible bag for cell cultivation, comprising a cultivation compartment and at least one dialysis compartment, wherein said at least one dialysis compartment is delimited from the cultivation compartment by a dialysis membrane and fluidically connected to a first and a second port in the bag.

2 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the total volume of the dialysis compartment or dialysis compartments is less than 10% of the volume of the cultivation compartment.

3 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum thickness of the dialysis compartment or compartments is less than 2 cm, such as less than 1 cm or less than 2 mm.

4 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , comprising at least one tubular dialysis membrane having a lumen, a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is fluidically connected to a first port in the bag, said second end is fluidically connected to a second port in the bag, and said lumen forms said at least one dialysis compartment.

5 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , comprising a bundle of hollow fiber membranes, each individual hollow fiber membrane having a lumen, a first end and a second end, wherein for a plurality of said hollow fiber membranes each first end is fluidically connected to the first port, each second end is fluidically connected to the second port and each lumen forms a dialysis compartment.

6 . The flexible bag according to claim 5 , comprising a bundle of hollow fiber membranes, each individual hollow fiber membrane having a lumen, a first end and a second end, wherein each of said first ends is fluidically connected to the first port, each of said second ends is fluidically connected to the second port and each lumen forms a dialysis compartment.

7 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular dialysis membrane and/or hollow fiber membranes are arranged such that they are free to move in relation to the bag.

8 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular dialysis membrane and/or hollow fiber membranes are arranged directly in the cultivation compartment.

9 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular dialysis membrane and/or hollow fiber membranes have a length of 1.1-2, such as 1.1-1.5 times the straight-line distance between the first and second ports.

10 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular dialysis membrane and/or hollow fiber membranes is/are reinforced, such as with fibrous braids.

11 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the dialysis compartment is delimited from the cultivation compartment by at least one sheet of dialysis membrane.

12 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the dialysis compartment is formed by a sheet of dialysis membrane attached along its edges to an inner wall of the bag.

13 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the dialysis compartment is a pouch located inside the bag.

14 . The flexible bag according to claim 11 , wherein the pouch is attached to an inner wall of the bag.

15 . The flexible bag according to claim 11 , wherein the pouch is freely movable inside the bag.

16 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more supports to prevent bulging of the dialysis compartment.

17 . The flexible bag according to claim 16 , wherein the support(s) comprise a net or ribs mounted on the outside of the dialysis compartment.

18 . The flexible bag according to claim 1 , wherein the support(s) comprise internal joints between two inner walls of the dialysis compartment.

19 . A bioreactor comprising the flexible bag according to claim 1 .

20 . The bioreactor according to claim 19 , wherein the flexible bag is mounted on a support plate which is pivotally mounted to a base about a movable axis.

21 . The bioreactor according to claim 20 , further comprising cells and a cell culture medium.

22 . A method of cultivating cells, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a flexible bag comprising a cultivation compartment and at least one dialysis compartment, wherein said at least one dialysis compartment is/are delimited from the cultivation compartment by one or more dialysis membranes and fluidically connected to a first and a second port in the bag, b) introducing cell culture media and cells in the cultivation compartment and cultivating the cells under agitation, c) flowing a dialysis liquid through the dialysis compartment(s) via the first and second ports to allow for mass transport of at least one component from the cultivation compartment via the dialysis membrane into the dialysis liquid, wherein the pressure differential between the cultivation compartment and the dialysis compartment is less than 10 kPa.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the flexible bag is defined.

Assignees

• Ge Healthcare Bio Sciences Ab

Inventors

• Liderfelt Karl
• Faldt Eric
• Castan Andreas

Classifications

• C12M29/04

  Filters; Permeable or porous membranes or plates, e.g. dialysis · CPC title

• C12M23/14 Primary

  Bags · CPC title

• C12M29/16

  Hollow fibers (hollow fiber modules in general B01D63/02) · CPC title

• C12M23/26

  flexible (flexible containers for laboratory use B01L3/505) · CPC title

• C12M23/34

  Internal compartments or partitions · CPC title