Micro flow filtration system and flow filtration method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10213742-B2
Application number	US-201314386097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2012
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A micro flow filtration system comprises a fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and a first reservoir ( 1 ) outside the circuitry ( 3 ) suitable for containing a fluid. The fluid circuitry ( 3 ) comprises a tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) capable of separating the fluid sample into a retentate stream and a permeate stream upon passage of the fluid sample into the tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) through an inlet feed ( 18 ). The fluid circuitry ( 3 ) further comprises a second reservoir ( 2 ) integrated in the fluid circuitry ( 3 ), a pump ( 5 ) for creating and driving a fluid flow, optionally at least one pressure sensor ( 6, 7 or 8 ) for acquiring and detecting data about the fluid sample, optionally a pressure regulator ( 9 ) for regulating the flow in the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and a plurality of conduits ( 22 ) forming the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) together with the second reservoir ( 2 ), the TFF-module ( 10 ), the pump ( 5 ), the pressure sensor ( 6, 7 or 8 ) (if present) and the pressure regulator ( 9 ) (if present). The volume of the first reservoir ( 1 ) outside the circuitry ( 3 ) is significantly larger than the volume of the second reservoir ( 2 ). The first reservoir ( 1 ) outside the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) is connected to the circuitry ( 3 ) via a connection conduit ( 31 ) such that the fluid flows unidirectionally into the circuitry ( 3 ) until the first reservoir ( 1 ) is empty so that a continuous fluid flow from the first reservoir ( 1 ) to the circuitry ( 3 ) is established.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A micro flow filtration system, wherein the system ( 100 ) comprises a fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and first reservoir ( 1 ) outside of the circuitry ( 3 ) suitable for containing a fluid, the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) comprising:
a tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) (TFF-module) having a feed inlet ( 18 ), a retentate outlet ( 19 ), a permeate outlet ( 20 ) and a semipermeable membrane ( 21 ) capable of separating the fluid sample into a retentate stream and a permeate stream upon passage of the fluid sample into the tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) through the feed inlet,
a second reservoir ( 2 ) integrated into the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) having a reservoir inlet ( 11 ) and reservoir outlet ( 12 ) both in connection to the circuitry ( 3 ),
a pump ( 5 ) for creating and driving a fluid flow of the fluid sample through the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and the tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ),
a plurality of conduits ( 14 ) forming the fluid circuitry, through which a fluid stream of the fluid sample is conducted, together with the second reservoir ( 2 ), the TFF-module ( 10 ) and the pump ( 5 );

wherein
the volume of the outside first reservoir ( 1 ) is significantly larger than the volume of the second reservoir ( 2 );
the first reservoir ( 1 ) outside of the circuitry ( 3 ) is connected to the circuitry ( 3 ) via connection conduit ( 31 ) wherein the connection conduit ( 31 ) only allows that the fluid flows unidirectionally out of the first reservoir ( 1 ) into the circuitry ( 3 ), wherein the connection conduit ( 31 ) comprises a back-pressure valve so that fluid is prevented from flowing back from the circuitry ( 3 ) into the first reservoir ( 1 );
the concentration of the fluid in the first reservoir ( 1 ) is constant; and
the micro flow filtration system has a concentration factor of at least 100.

2. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the volume of the first reservoir ( 1 ) is at least two times larger than the volume of the circuitry ( 3 ).

3. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second reservoir ( 2 ) is a discrete fluidic element or that the functionality of the second reservoir ( 2 ) is provided by another structural element of the fluidic circuitry ( 3 ).

4. A micro flow filtration system, wherein the system ( 100 ) comprises a fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and first reservoir ( 1 ) outside of the circuitry ( 3 ) suitable for containing a fluid, the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) comprising:
a tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) (TFF-module) having a feed inlet ( 18 ), a retentate outlet ( 19 ), a permeate outlet ( 20 ) and a semipermeable membrane ( 21 ) capable of separating the fluid sample into a retentate stream and a permeate stream upon passage of the fluid sample into the tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) through the feed inlet,
a second reservoir ( 2 ) integrated into the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) having a reservoir inlet ( 11 ) and reservoir outlet ( 12 ) both in connection to the circuitry ( 3 ),
a pump ( 5 ) for creating and driving a fluid flow of the fluid sample through the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and the tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ),
a plurality of conduits ( 14 ) forming the fluid circuitry, through which a fluid stream of the fluid sample is conducted, together with the second reservoir ( 2 ), the TFF-module ( 10 ) and the pump ( 5 );

wherein
the volume of the outside first reservoir ( 1 ) is significantly larger than the volume of the second reservoir ( 2 );
the first reservoir ( 1 ) outside of the circuitry ( 3 ) is connected to the circuitry ( 3 ) via connection conduit ( 31 ) wherein connection conduit ( 31 ) only allows that the fluid flows unidirectionally out of the first reservoir ( 1 ) into the circuitry ( 3 ), wherein the connection conduit ( 31 ) comprises a back-pressure valve so that fluid is prevented from flowing back from the circuitry ( 3 ) into the first reservoir ( 1 ) and wherein the concentration of the fluid in the first reservoir ( 1 ) is constant,
characterized in that the first reservoir ( 1 ) and the second reservoir ( 2 ) contain the same fluid sample.

5. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the system comprises at least one of the pressure sensors ( 6 , 7 , 8 ).

6. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the circuitry ( 3 ) comprises an optical measuring device ( 30 ) for acquiring information about the concentration of the components contained in the fluid sample.

7. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the system comprises a pressure regulation means ( 9 ) for regulating the transmembrane pressure and the pressure in the fluidic circuitry.

8. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first reservoir ( 1 ) and the second reservoir ( 2 ) are in fluid connection in such a manner that the fluid sample of the first reservoir ( 1 ) flows directly into the second reservoir ( 2 ).

9. A micro flow filtration system, wherein the system ( 100 ) comprises a fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and first reservoir ( 1 ) outside of the circuitry ( 3 ) suitable for containing a fluid, the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) comprising:
a tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) (TFF-module) having a feed inlet ( 18 ), a retentate outlet ( 19 ), a permeate outlet ( 20 ) and a semipermeable membrane ( 21 ) capable of separating the fluid sample into a retentate stream and a permeate stream upon passage of the fluid sample into the tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ) through the feed inlet,
a second reservoir ( 2 ) integrated into the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) having a reservoir inlet ( 11 ) and reservoir outlet ( 12 ) both in connection to the circuitry ( 3 ),
a pump ( 5 ) for creating and driving a fluid flow of the fluid sample through the fluid circuitry ( 3 ) and the tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ),
a plurality of conduits ( 14 ) forming the fluid circuitry, through which a fluid stream of the fluid sample is conducted, together with the second reservoir ( 2 ), the TFF-module ( 10 ) and the pump ( 5 );

wherein
the volume of the outside first reservoir ( 1 ) is significantly larger than the volume of the second reservoir ( 2 );
the first reservoir ( 1 ) outside of the circuitry ( 3 ) is connected to the circuitry ( 3 ) via connection conduit ( 31 ) wherein connection conduit ( 31 ) only allows that the fluid flows unidirectionally out of the first reservoir ( 1 ) into the circuitry ( 3 ), wherein the connection conduit ( 31 ) comprises a back-pressure valve so that fluid is prevented from flowing back from the circuitry ( 3 ) into the first reservoir ( 1 ) and wherein the concentration of the fluid in the first reservoir ( 1 ) is constant

characterized in that the first reservoir ( 1 ) is a discrete element.

10. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the connection conduit ( 31 ) is a capillary or a capillary channel or a tube and/or the connection conduit ( 31 ) has a length of at least 10 mm.

11. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the connection conduit ( 31 ) has a diameter of at most 1 mm.

12. A flow filtration method for increasing the concentration of a component contained in a fluid sample using a tangential flow filtration module ( 10 ), the method comprising the following steps:
providing a micro flow filtration system ( 100 ), comprising a first reservoir ( 1 ) and a fluid circuitry ( 3 ), wherein the first reservoir ( 1 ) is connected

Assignees

• Oranth Norbert
• Losleben Nadine
• Lutz Sascha
• Grossmann Adelbert
• Hoffmann La Roche

Inventors

• Oranth Norbert
• Losleben Nadine
• Lutz Sascha
• Grossmann Adelbert

Classifications

• B01D2313/10

  Specific supply elements · CPC title

• B01D2313/14

  Specific spacers · CPC title

• B01D2315/10

  Cross-flow filtration · CPC title

• B01D2315/12

  Feed-and-bleed systems · CPC title

• B01D61/20

  Accessories; Auxiliary operations · CPC title