Mixing methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10265668-B2
Application number	US-201615010113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A mixing method, a controller and a mixing device for mixing components in a mixing vessel are provided. The mixing method includes providing a mixing impeller in the mixing vessel; accelerating the mixing impeller from an inactive state to a rotating state in which the mixing impeller rotates at a first desired speed in a first rotation direction; rotating the mixing impeller at the first desired speed for a first time t steady,1 in the first rotation direction; changing the rotation direction of the mixing impeller, so that the mixing impeller rotates in a second rotation direction at a second desired speed; and rotating the mixing impeller at the second desired speed for a second time t steady,2 .

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mixing method for mixing components in a single-use bioreactor, comprising:
providing a mixing impeller in the single-use bioreactor;
accelerating the mixing impeller from an inactive state to a rotating state in which the mixing impeller rotates at a first desired speed in a first rotation direction;
measuring an amount of torque required to rotate the mixing impeller;
detecting whether the amount of the torque required to rotate the mixing impeller decreases as an indication that a swirling flow exists in the components being mixed;
rotating the mixing impeller at the first desired speed in the first rotation direction until reaching one of a first time t steady,1 or a detection that the swirling flow exists in the components being mixed;
changing the rotation direction of the mixing impeller, so that the mixing impeller rotates in a second rotation direction at a second desired speed upon reaching one of the first time t steady,1 and the detection that the amount of the torque required to rotate the mixing impeller has decreased as the indication that the swirling flow exists in the components being mixed;
rotating the mixing impeller at the second desired speed and in the second rotation direction until reaching one of a second time t steady,2 or the detection that the amount of the torque required to rotate the mixing impeller has decreased as an indication the swirling flow exists in the components being mixed; and further comprising using a control system that controls the mixing impeller and detects whether the amount of the torque required to rotate the mixing impeller fluctuates as an indication of one or more vortexes in the components being mixed; and then rotating the mixing impeller at the second desired speed and in the second rotation direction until reaching one of the second time t steady,2 or the detection that the amount of the torque required to rotate the mixing impeller has decreased or fluctuated again.

2. The mixing method of claim 1 , comprising a further step of changing the rotation direction of the mixing impeller from the second rotation direction back to the first rotation direction upon reaching one of the second time t steady,2 or the detection that the swirling flow exists in the components being mixed.

3. The mixing method of claim 1 , wherein the first or the second desired speed is a maximum speed of the mixing impeller.

4. The mixing method of claim 1 , wherein the time at which the swirling flow is detected in the components to be mixed is determined in the control system for controlling the mixing impeller.

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh
• Cutting Jonathan E

Inventors

• Boettcher Lars
• Cutting Jonathan E
• West Sharon D
• Oschwald Martin

Classifications

• B01F15/00201

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2015/00636

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F7/00383

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2003/125

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2015/00642

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic