Cell culturing system

Claim 2

A REPLACEABLE, STERILIZABLE, CELL GROWTH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CHAMBER OF GAS PERMEABLE LIQUID IMPERMEABLE MATERIAL HAVING AN INNER SURFACE TO WHICH CELLS ARE ATTACHABLE, AND WHICH DEFINES AN ELONGATED FLOW PATH BETWEEN INLET AND OUTLET CONDUITS, A COUPLING CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUITS, SAID COUPLING INCLUDING A BODY MEMBER THAT SUPPORTS TWO PROJECTING RIGID CONDUITS, EACH SAID RIGID CONDUIT HAVING AN ORIFICE AND A PUNCTURING TIP ADJACENT SAID ORIFICE, A SEAL MEMBER OF ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL, SAID PUNCTURING TIPS BEING IMBEDDED IN SAID SEAL

Claim 3

A replaceable, sterilizable, cell growth assembly comprising a chamber of gas permeable liquid impermeable material having an inner surface to which cells are attachable, and which defines an elongated flow path between inlet and outlet conduits, a coupling connected to said conduits, said coupling including a body member that supports two projecting rigid conduits, each said rigid conduit having an orifice and a puncturing tip adjacent said orifice, a seal member of elastomeric material, said puncturing tips being imbedded in said seal member, and a guide member secured to said seal member and extending parallel to said projecting rigid conduits for sliding movement relative to said body member so that said conduit orifices may be opened by sliding said seal member along said rigid conduits as guided by said guide member to expose the tips of said rigid conduits, said orifices being reclosed by sliding said seal member in the opposite direction away from said body member to reposition said orifices of said rigid conduits in said seal meMber.

Claim 4

A replaceable, sterilizable, cell growth assembly comprising a chamber of gas permeable liquid impermeable material having an inner surface to which cells are attachable, and which defines an elongated flow path between inlet and outlet conduits, a coupling connected to said conduits, said coupling including a body member that supports two projecting rigid conduits, each said rigid conduit having an orifice and a puncturing tip adjacent said orifice, a seal member of elastomeric material, said puncturing tips being imbedded in said seal member, and a guide member secured to said seal member and extending parallel to said projecting rigid conduits for sliding movement relative to said body member so that said conduit orifices may be opened by sliding said seal member along said rigid conduits as guided by said guide member to expose the tips of said rigid conduits, said orifices being reclosed by sliding said seal member in the opposite direction away from said body member to reposition said orifices of said rigid conduits in said seal meMber.

Claim 5

The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chamber is an elongated tubular chamber disposed in spiral configuration.

Claim 6

The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inlet conduit is of flexible tubing and includes structure disposed within the tubing for cooperation with peristaltic pump structure so that a length of said tubing may be maintained in tension when trained about the cage of said peristaltic pump.

Claim 7

The assembly as claimed in claim 1 and further including a cooperating manifold structure comprising a manifold subassembly that includes manifold conduits of elastomeric material that cooperate with said chamber coupling structure.

Claim 8

The assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein said manifold structure includes a receptacle for receiving said seal member of said coupling in position so that movement of said body member towards said sealing member forces the orifices of said rigid conduits through said seal manner and into the cooperating manifold conduits to establish a flow path between said manifold conduits and said rigid conduits for flow of liquid media from one of said manifold conduits through one of said rigid conduits and said inlet conduit to said chamber and return through said outlet conduit and the other rigid conduit to the second manifold conduit.

Claim 9

The assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said chamber is an elongated tubular chamber disposed in spiral configuration.