Sterile fluid pumping or mixing system and related method

1. A fluid pumping or mixing system, comprising:

a vessel or container for holding a fluid and a product;

a magnetic element capable of providing a pumping or mixing action to the fluid upon rotation;

at least one superconducting element for levitating said magnetic element in the vessel or container;

a wall defining a chamber around the superconducting element, said chamber thermally isolating the superconducting element from the vessel or container;

a cooling source thermally linked to said superconducting element;

a motive device for rotating said superconducting element.

2. The system for pumping or mixing a fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is evacuated or insulated to minimize thermal transfer from said superconducting element to said wall and provide the desired thermal isolation.

3. The system for pumping or mixing a fluid according to claim 1 , wherein said wall is the outer wall of a cryostat and said cooling source is a chamber in said cryostat holding a liquid cryogen.

4. The system for pumping or mixing a fluid according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling source is a refrigerator.

5. The system for pumping or mixing a fluid according to claim 1 , wherein said superconducting element is supported by the wall defining said chamber, and wherein said chamber is in turn supported from a stable mounting structure by a bearing permitting rotational motion, said motive device rotating said wall and said superconducting element together.

6. The system for pumping or mixing a fluid according to claim 5 , wherein said cooling source is coupled to and rotates with said wall.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of a bacterial nutrient culture media, eukaryotic cell nutrient culture media, buffer, reagent, and the like.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the product is introduced into the vessel in a dry, powder-like form and the fluid is introduced either before or after the magnetic element is in a levitated state.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel is substantially sealed prior to the levitation of the magnetic element, but includes a sterile fitting for introducing or extracting the fluid, product, or both therefrom.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel and magnetic element are sterilized prior to introduction of the fluid.

11. The system for pumping or mixing a fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel is capable of holding a volume of fluid of about 10 liters or greater.

12. A method of mixing a fluid in a vessel or container, comprising:

placing a magnetic pumping or mixing element and a product in the vessel or container;

substantially sealing the vessel or container from the outside environment;

levitating the magnetic element above a superconducting element positioned in an evacuated or insulated chamber adjacent to the vessel or container and thermally linked to a cooling source; and

rotating the superconducting element.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further including cleaning or sterilizing both the vessel or container and the magnetic element prior to the sealing step.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further including placing the product in the vessel prior to the sealing step.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the substantially sealed vessel includes at least one sterile or aseptic fitting, and further including the step of introducing the fluid into the vessel after the sealing step through the fitting, whereby a sterile or aseptic mixing environment is created.