Alternating Ionic Magnetic Resonance (AIMR) Multiple-Chambered Culture Apparatus

Abstract

Provided herein are a culture apparatus, culture systems and an alternating ionic magnetic resonance electromagnetic chamber for culturing cells, tissues or organoid bodies or for delivering a pulsating alternating ionic magnetic resonance field to an object of interest including the above or to an animal, human or plant. The culture apparatus comprises a culture unit having growth and nutrient modules and a randomizing adapter to continually randomize the gravity vector in the growth module. The culture systems further comprise the alternating ionic magnetic resonance electromagnetic chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A culture apparatus for growing cells, comprising:
 means for containing the cells in a growth environment; and   means for continually randomizing the gravity vector in the growth environment.   
     
     
         2 . The culture apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means for containing the cells is a culture unit comprising a nutrient module and growth module in fluid contact, said cells contained within the growth module. 
     
     
         3 . The culture apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the nutrient module comprises:
 an open-ended body having a proximal end with a diameter of a length to receive the growth module therein; and   a distal end comprising a first sealable opening.   
     
     
         4 . The culture apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the proximal end of the nutrient module comprises a first gas-permeable membrane with a gas port disposed thereon. 
     
     
         5 . The culture apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the growth module comprises:
 a body having a proximal end comprising a second gas-permeable membrane with a plurality of inlet/outlet ports disposed thereon; and   a distal end comprising a baffling system and a semi-permeable membrane in fluid contact with the first gas-permeable membrane.   
     
     
         6 . The culture apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the means for continually randomizing the gravity vector in the growth environment comprises a randomizing adapter having an open proximal end of a diameter sufficient in length to receive the culture unit therein, said distal end of the nutrient module adaptable to electrically connect with a randomizing mechanism comprising the adapter. 
     
     
         7 . The culture apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein one or both of the nutrient module and the growth module are disposable. 
     
     
         8 . The culture apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein materials comprising the apparatus are sterilizable. 
     
     
         9 . The culture apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cells comprise virally-infected cells, bacterially-infected cells, a tissue, or an organoid body. 
     
     
         10 . A culture system for growing cells, comprising:
 the culture apparatus of  claim 1 ;   an open-ended chamber having a proximal end with a diameter of a length to receive the growth module therein; and   an electromagnetic device comprising an electrically conductive material in electrical communication with a conversion device that converts a pulsating time-varying electromagnetic current into a pulsating alternating ionic magnetic resonance frequency field.   
     
     
         11 . The culture system of  claim 10 , further comprising a modulating device configured to produce overlapping or fluctuating alternating ionic magnetic resonance frequencies at one or more modal intervals spanning about 6.5 Hz and ranging from about 7.8 Hz to about 59.9 Hz. 
     
     
         12 . The culture system of  claim 11 , wherein the overlapping or fluctuating alternating ionic magnetic resonance frequencies produced are about 10, 14, 15, 16, or 32 Hz. 
     
     
         13 . The culture system of  claim 12 , wherein one or more of the alternating ionic magnetic resonance frequencies produced fluctuate between about 8 and 14 Hz. 
     
     
         14 . The culture system of  claim 10 , wherein the electrically conductive material is copper wire or ferromagnetic wire wrapped about a non-conductive or conductive core at about 5 to about 500 turns per inch. 
     
     
         15 . The culture system of  claim 10 , wherein the electrical conversion device is a random waveform generator, an amplifier, an antenna, or other transmission device. 
     
     
         16 . The culture system of  claim 10 , wherein the alternating ionic magnetic resonance field has a field strength of about 0.01 Gauss to about 10,000 Gauss.