In order to establish dynamic cell culture conditions, the bioreactors must be included into a complex fluidic circuit that mimics the physiological bloodstream or the interstitial flow. Besides the bioreactor, the fluidic circuit includes a pump, a mixing chamber and several silicone tubes. A system composed by all these elements is complex, difficult to handle and may introduce sterility issues. Furthermore, the standard laboratory peristaltic pumps are heavy, bulky and the resistance to humidity needed to operate in the incubator is not always guaranteed. With the purpose of solving all the described drawbacks, during the present work of thesis a novel COmpact Modular Pumping ACTuation (CO.M.P.ACT.) system was designed, realized and tested. Through a novel modular design, the system includes the multichannel fluidic actuation, the electronic control and the mixing chamber into a unique, compact and easy-to-use device. Thanks to a simple assembly mechanism, each module can be easily removed for cleaning, sterilization and maintenance. The electronic control is flexible, as it allows the independent control of the fluidic channels, whereas the design of the mixing chamber allows running separate experiments at the same time.
