An assembly

Abstract

An assembly for handling biological material, including a planar interface having at least one port, and a component retaining element, spaced apart from the planar interface, configured to retain a component for handling biological material, in which at least one component chosen from the planar interface and the component retaining element is moveable to bring the port and the component retaining element into registration with one another. The registration between the at least one port and the component retaining element adapted to form a fluid communication pathway may be provided between a component retained by the component retaining element and a container associated with the planar interface through the port.

1 . An assembly for handling biological material, comprising:
 a substantially planar interface including at least one port therein; and   a component retaining element, spaced apart from the substantially planar interface, configured to retain a component for handling biological material;   wherein at least one component chosen from of the substantially planar interface and the component retaining element is moveable to bring the at least one port and the component retaining element into registration with one another, the registration between the at least one port and the component retaining element adapted to form a fluid communication pathway between a component retained by the component retaining element and a container associated with the substantially planar interface through the at least one port.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar interface adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substantially planar interface. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 1  or  claim 2 , wherein the component retaining element adapted to move longitudinally along an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substantially planar interface. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the component retaining element adapted to move longitudinally to urge a component retained by the component retaining element into engagement with the at least one port. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the component retaining element is substantially laterally immoveable within the plane of the component retaining element. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the component retaining element comprises an arm terminating in a component retaining head. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising an enclosure, the component retaining element being formed as part of the enclosure, and wherein the enclosure is configured to operably receive the substantially planar interface. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein each port is arranged radially outwardly of a central longitudinal axis of the substantially planar interface. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one port of the planar interface is a resealable port adapted to reseal. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar interface further comprises a removable aseptic barrier disposed over the at least one port. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the removable aseptic barrier comprises a fastener portion operably coupled to an aseptic skin, the aseptic skin being removably disposed over the at least one port. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the fastener portion is slidably received within a slot formed in the substantially planar interface, the fastener portion adapted to move within the slot between a first configuration, in which the aseptic skin is disposed over the at least one port, and a second configuration, in which the aseptic skin is removed from the at least one port. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly according to  claim 13 , further comprising an aseptic barrier removal system, the aseptic barrier removal system configured to operably engage a portion of the removable aseptic barrier and to remove the removable aseptic barrier from the at least one port. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar interface comprises a coupling element configured to operably couple to a corresponding coupling element of a container. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar interface comprises one or more drive elements arranged to cooperate with a drive mechanism. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the component retaining element comprises an actuator configured to actuate at least a portion of a component retained by the component retaining element. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a container fluidly coupled to the at least one port of the substantially planar interface. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly according to  claim 20 , further comprising an expandable receptacle operably coupled to the substantially planar interface and configured to fluidly communicate with the container through the substantially planar interface. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a component for handing biological material retained by the component retaining element. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method of introducing material into, or removing the material from, a component of an assembly for handling biological material, comprising:
 providing an assembly comprising: a substantially planar interface including at least one port therein; and a component retaining element, spaced apart from the substantially planar interface, configured to retain a component for handling biological material; wherein at least one component chosen from the substantially planar interface and the component retaining element is moveable to bring the at least one port and the component retaining element into registration with one another, the registration between the at least one port and the component retaining element adapted to form a fluid communication pathway between a component retained by the component retaining element and a container associated with the substantially planar interface through the at least one port;   retaining the component, suitable for handling biological material and including at least one port, to the component retaining element;   moving the at least one component to bring the at least one port of the component into registration with the at least one port of the substantially planar interface;   providing a fluid communication pathway through the at least one port of the substantially planar interface and the at least one port of the component; and   moving the material to perform an action chosen from introducing the material into and removing the material from, the component through the fluid communication pathway.   
     
     
         26 . An assembly for handling biological material, comprising:
 a first biological handling element, defining a first volume and a first port;   a second biological handling element, defining a second volume and a second port;   an aseptic connecting element, configured to aseptically fluidly connect the first port and the second port to provide aseptic fluid communication between the first volume and the second volume; and   an aseptic disconnecting element, configured to aseptically fluidly disconnect the first port and the second port to prevent aseptic fluid communication between the first volume and the second volume;   wherein at least one element chosen from of the first biological handling element and the second biological handling element is moveable to bring the first port and the second port into registration with one another to fluidly connect the aseptic connecting element to the first port and the second port aseptically, and to allow, when in use, wherein the aseptic disconnecting element is configured to fluidly disconnect the first port and the second port aseptically.   
     
     
         27 . An The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the first biological handling element comprises a substantially planar interface including the first port, the first port adapted to fluidly couple to the first volume. 
     
     
         28 . An The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the second biological handling element comprises a component retaining element retaining a component including the second volume and the second port. 
     
     
         29 . An The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the aseptic connecting element and the aseptic disconnecting element are a unitary component. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the first port comprises a first tube, the second port comprises a second tube, and the aseptic connecting element comprises an aseptic tube welder. 
     
     
         32 . The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the first port comprises the first tube, the second port comprises a second tube, and the aseptic disconnecting element comprises an aseptic tube sealer. 
     
     
         33 . A method of handling biological material, comprising:
 moving at least one of a first biological handling element, comprising a first volume having a first port, and a second biological handling element, comprising a second volume having a second port, to bring the first port and the second port into registration with one another;   aseptically fluidly connecting the first port and the second port, thereby providing fluid communication between the first volume and the second volume;   transferring biological material from the first volume to the second volume, or from the second volume to the first volume; and   aseptically fluidly disconnecting the aseptically fluidly connected first port and second port, thereby preventing fluid communication between the first volume and the second volume.   
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the aseptically fluidly connecting the first port and the second port comprises aseptically welding the first port to the second port. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the aseptically fluidly disconnecting the first port and the second port comprises aseptically sealing the connected first port and second port to provide an aseptically sealed first port and an aseptically sealed second port.