A core material such as living tissue, individual cells, hormones, enzymes or antibodies is encapsulated in a semipermeable membrane that is permeable to small molecules for contact with the core material but is impermeable to potentially deleterious large molecules. Encapsulation may be carried out by suspending the core material in an aqueous medium containing a water soluble gum that can be reversibly gelled, forming the suspension into droplets, contacting the droplets with a solution of mul...

A device and method for its use in medical transfusion or bypass circuits wherein biological fluids, such as blood, are introduced onto the interior surface of an essentially cylindrical cavity in a vortical flow such that unwanted gas bubbles are separated from the biological fluids. The degassed biological fluids are collected and returned to the patient.

Biological fermentation of organic matter is conducted in a single, unitary, integral vessel with both aerobic and anaerobic processes being conducted within that single vessel. Heat generated in the aerobic process is used to maintain the temperature of the anaerobic process at a desired level, and high molecular weight organic materials are reduced to matter having low molecular weight in that aerobic process. Low molecular weight material is transferred to a chamber in the vessel to be fermen...

Biological substances such as tissues, cells, vaccines and viruses are cultured by the steps of: introducing a culture solution having the substances suspended therein into a closed culture vessel having a plurality of disc-like implantation plates arranged horizontally with a certain space between successive plates so that a predetermined number of the implantation plates is immersed in the culture solution; culturing the substances on the surface of the implantation plates; removing the substa...

A biological filter apparatus, and process for using the same, wherein organic pollutants in a waste water stream may be biologically degraded by a biomass of suitable microorganisms located on the surface of a packing. The filter comprises a sealed vessel in which the packing having the biomass thereon is located, and the waste water, mixed with several volumes of liquid recycle, is allowed to trickle downwardly through the packing countercurrently to ascending gases, effluent liquid is removed...

The present invention relates to a biological sewage treatment plant designed for the treatment of sewage by means of the active sediment method. The sewage treatment plant consists of a tank in the shape of a cylinder, wherein the concentric biosorption, biostabilization and settling chambers formed by vertical stationary screens coupled with each other are accommodated. The said chambers are divided into the internal and external sections formed by annular movable screens, connected to the rot...

Polymeric functional microspheres containing metal or metal compounds are formed by addition polymerization of a covalently bondable olefinic monomer such as hydroxyethylmethacrylate in the presence of finely divided metal or metal oxide particles, such as iron, gold, platinum or magnetite, which are embedded in the resulting microspheres. The microspheres can be covalently bonded to chemotherapeutic agents, antibodies, or other proteins providing a means for labeling or separating labeled cells...

A method for separating biological cells characterized by the steps of suspending a mixed cell population in a body of aqueous polymer comprising a system consisting of phases for which said cells exhibit an affinity including at least one phase having droplets characterized by a first surface potential and at least one phase having droplets characterized by another surface potential, and subjecting said system to an electrostatic field established between a pair of electrodes, said field being ...

A formulation for use in the biological control of insects, particularly insect pests, comprises an oil suspension of the infective stage of nematodes such as Neoaplectana carpocapsae parasitic to the larvae of those insects. The formulation may be distributed in the form of droplets or films of oil containing this infective stage of the nematodes. Also disclosed is a method and assemblage for rearing nematodes.

Thin tubelets coated on their inner wall with a solid coating of a dyestuff or staining reagent are used to stain biological material by passing such material through the tubelet, optionally after mixing with a solvent, and allowing the biological material to react in the tubelet with the dyestuff or staining reagent.