Apparatus and method for rapid harvesting of roller culture supernatant fluid

Claim 1

IN A ROLLER TISSUE CULTURE APPARATUS OF THE TYPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ROLLERS, MEANS TO DRIVE AT LEAST SOME OF THE ROLLERS WHILE OTHERS OF THE ROLLERS ARE IDLED, A PLURALITY OF CULTURE BOTTLES ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ON THE ROLLERS AND TO BE TURNED BY THE DRIVEN ROLLERS AND TO IN TURN ROTATE THE IDLED ROLLERS, SAID BOTTLES EACH HAVING A SWIVEL CAP ADAPTED TO MOUNT INFLUENT, EFFLUENT, AND GAS INLET-EXHAUST PIPES, HAVING A NUTRIENT SUPPLY, PIPING CONNECTING SAID NUTRIENT SUPPLY TO RESPECTIVE BOTTLE INFLUENT PIPES AND WITH VALVE MEANS TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF SAID NUTRIENT TO SAID INFLUENT PIPES WHEREBY TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF NUTRIENT TO SAID BOTTLES, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A. TILTING MEANS PROVIDED BELOW EACH OF SAID BOTTLES AND OPERABLE TO ENGAGE, GRADUALLY RAISE AND TILT EACH OF SAID BOTTLES SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SOME PREDETERMINED ANGULAR AMOUNT WHILE AT LEAST A PORTION OF EACH OF SAID BOTTLE REMAINS ON ITS RESPECTIVE SAID ROLLERS, BEING ADAPTED TO HOLD EACH OF SAID BOTTLES IN SAID TILTED POSITION FOR SOME PREDETERMINED TIME AND THEN TO LOWER SAID BOTTLES BACK TO THEIR NORMAL POSITION ON SAID ROLLERS; B. ELECTRICAL OPERATER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TILTING MEANS FOR OPERATOR SAID TILTING MEANS AND ENERGIZABLE IN ONE MODE TO CAUSE SAID TILTING MEANS TO GRADUALLY RAISE AND TILT SAID BOTTLES, IN ANOTHER MODE TO CAUSE SAID TILTING MEANS TO HOLD SAID BOTTLES TILTED AND IN A THIRD MODE TO CAUSE SAID TILTING MEANS TO GRADUALLY LOWER SAID BOTTLES AND RESTORE SAID BOTTLES TO THEIR NORMAL POSITION ON SAID ROLLERS; C. A SWIVEL CAP LIKE PIPING ARRANGEMENT IN EACH SAID BOTTLE INCLUDING AN INFLUENT PIPE CONNECTED TO RECEIVE NUTRIENT FROM SAID SUPPLY AND TO DISCHARGE THE SAME THROUGH A SECTION OF SAID INFLUENT PIPE WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE SAID BOTTTLE, A GAS INLET-EXHAUST PIPE HAVING ONE END COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID BOTTLE AND AN OPPOSITE END