Abstract
The spinner flask bioreactor has been widely used in in vitro cell culturing processes due to its superiority in providing a homogeneous culture environment compared to traditional culturing methods. However, there is limited understanding of the flow fields in these bioreactors, and optimum culture conditions are yet to be determined. This article presents the experimental characterization of the flow field within a spinner flask at varying speeds (10 RPM to 80 RPM) and impeller positions. An optical, non-invasive measurement technique, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), was employed to illustrate the fluid flow and calculate the stresses and vorticity associated with the flow within the flask. The largest recirculation structure was observed in the meridional plane at the highest impeller position while the highest shear stress region was observed at the base of the spinner flask. The study provides an overview of the fluid structure within the spinner flask in the meridional and azimuthal planes. Furthermore, the results presented in this study give an accurate quantification of the range of stresses for the given impeller speeds. These results provide estimates of the biomechanical properties within the type of spinner flask used in many published cell studies.
Highlights
Stem cells have great potential in regenerative medicine due to their ability to differentiate to multiple lineages
This study provides a detailed quantitative investigation of velocity, shear stress and vorticity in the spinner flask through the use of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement technique in meridional and azimuthal planes, to extensively highlight the flow feature that may improve cell growth in culture procedure
The present study investigates the effect of impeller position on the flow features within the reactor
Summary
Stem cells have great potential in regenerative medicine due to their ability to differentiate to multiple lineages. The self-renewal ability possessed by these cells is highly suitable to replenish damaged cells, which could be caused by injury or degeneration due to age. They could produce either a similar cell type or differentiated cells [1]. Stem cells inherently exist in all organisms and serve as an internal repair mechanism for damaged tissue. The number of stem cells present in organisms is very low. Before any cell therapy can be realized, an optimized cell culture system is required to increase the number of cells for clinical treatment. A high-throughput bioreactor is essential to ensure that optimum level of cell expansion can be achieved while maintaining its genetic stability at the end of the culture process
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