Aeration device for bioreactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427112-B2
Application number	US-201113825072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2011
Priority date	Sep 30, 2010
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Aeration device for bioreactors with an aeration element with gas outlet openings arranged in a housing, the aeration element taking the form of a microsparger, the gas outlet openings of which are in each case spaced apart from one another and have a size of between 100 μm and 200 μm. At least one second aeration element with gas outlet openings of a second size is preferably provided, the aeration elements being formed by a common housing with separate aeration channels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aeration device for a bioreactor ( 25 ), comprising:
a lower part ( 5 ) having an annular bottom wall ( 9 ), an outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) projecting up from the bottom wall ( 9 ), an inner circumferential wall ( 12 ) concentric with the outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) and projecting up from the bottom wall ( 9 ) and a circumferentially extending partition wall ( 11 ) concentric with the outer and inner circumferential walls ( 10 , 12 ) and projecting up from the bottom wall ( 9 ) at a position between the outer and inner circumferential walls ( 10 , 12 ) so that an outer aeration channel ( 7 ) is defined between the outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) and the partition wall ( 11 ) and an inner aeration channel ( 8 ) is defined between the partition wall ( 11 ) and the inner circumferential wall ( 12 ); and
an upper part ( 6 ) mounted to ends of the outer and inner circumferential walls ( 10 , 12 ) and the partition wall ( 11 ) and opposed to the bottom wall ( 9 ) to define a housing ( 2 ) with the upper part ( 6 ) covering both the outer aeration channel ( 7 ) and the inner aeration channel ( 8 ), the upper part ( 6 ) having a lower surface facing into the outer aeration channel ( 7 ) and the inner aeration channel ( 8 ) and an upper surface opposite the lower surface, areas of the upper part ( 6 ) that cover the outer aeration channel ( 7 ) being formed with outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) that are arranged circumferentially at equal intervals, each of the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) extending from the lower surface to the upper surface, all of the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) being spaced apart from one another at all locations on each outer gas outlet opening ( 36 ) from the lower surface to the upper surface and having a cross-sectional dimension at the upper surface that is the same for all of the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) and areas of the upper part ( 6 ) that cover the inner aeration channel ( 8 ) being formed with inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) extending from the lower surface to the upper surface, minimum spacings between the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) being less than the intervals between the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ), all of the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) being spaced apart from one another at all locations on each inner gas outlet opening ( 46 ) from the lower surface to the upper surface and having a cross-sectional dimension at the upper surface that is the same for all of the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) and that is different than the cross-sectional dimension of outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ), wherein the same cross-sectional dimension for all of the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) achieves a specified distribution of bubble sizes from the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) and the same cross-sectional dimension for all of the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) achieves a specified distribution of bubble sizes from the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) that is different from the specified distribution of bubble sizes from the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ), the cross-sectional dimensions of the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) being at least three times the cross-sectional dimensions of the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ).

2. The aeration device of claim 1 , wherein
the housing ( 2 ) comprises a central opening ( 32 ) dimensioned to receive a stirrer flange ( 31 ) of the bioreactor ( 25 ) arranged upstream of a stirrer ( 26 ) and on a bottom ( 29 ) of an interior ( 30 ) of the bioreactor ( 25 ).

3. The aeration device of claim 1 , wherein the same size for the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) is a selected same size of between 100 μm and 200 μm.

4. The aeration device of claim 3 , wherein the same size for the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) is a selected same size of between 600 μm and 1000 μm.

5. The aeration device of claim 1 , further comprising a first gas inflow line ( 21 ) extending radially through the outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) of the lower part ( 5 ) and communicating with the outer aeration channel ( 7 ) and a second gas inflow line ( 23 ) extending radially through the outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) and through the partition wall ( 11 ) of the lower part ( 5 ) and communicating with the inner aeration channel ( 8 ).

6. The aeration device of claim 1 , further comprising seals ( 18 , 19 , 20 ) between the upper part ( 6 ) and the outer and inner circumferential walls ( 10 , 12 ) and the partition wall ( 11 ).

7. The aeration device of claim 1 , wherein the upper part ( 6 ) has opposite upper and lower surfaces, the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) of the first size and the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) of the second size being adjacent the upper surface and widening to larger sizes at positions closer to the lower surface of the upper part ( 6 ).

8. The aeration device of claim 1 , wherein the upper part ( 6 ) has an outer circumferential flange that engages an upper region of an outer surface of the outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) and an inner circumferential flange that engages an upper region of an inner surface of the inner circumferential wall ( 12 ).

9. The aeration device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second gas outlet openings ( 46 , 36 ) extends substantially perpendicularly from the lower surface to the upper surface of the upper part ( 6 ).

10. An aeration device for a bioreactor ( 25 ), comprising:
a lower part ( 5 ) having an annular bottom wall ( 9 ), an outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) projecting up from the bottom wall ( 9 ), an inner circumferential wall ( 12 ) concentric with the outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) and projecting up from the bottom wall ( 9 ) and a circumferentially extending partition wall ( 11 ) concentric with the outer and inner circumferential walls ( 10 , 12 ) and projecting up from the bottom wall ( 9 ) at a position between the outer and inner circumferential walls 10 , 12 ) so that an outer aeration channel ( 7 ) is defined between the outer circumferential wall ( 10 ) and the partition wall ( 11 ) and an inner aeration channel ( 8 ) is defined between the partition wall ( 11 ) and the inner circumferential wall 12 ); and
an upper part ( 6 ) mounted to ends of the outer and inner circumferential walls ( 10 , 12 ) and the partition wall ( 11 ) and opposed to the bottom wall ( 9 ) to define a housing ( 2 ) with the upper part ( 6 ) covering both the outer aeration channel ( 7 ) and the inner aeration channel ( 8 ), the upper part ( 6 ) having a lower surface facing into the outer aeration channel ( 7 ) and the inner aeration channel ( 8 ) and an upper surface opposite the lower surface, areas of the upper part ( 6 ) that cover the outer aeration channel ( 7 ) being formed with outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) extending from the lower surface to the upper surface, all of the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) being spaced apart from one another at all locations on each outer gas outlet opening ( 36 ) from the lower surface to the upper surface and having a cross-sectional dimension at the upper surface that is the same for all of the outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ) and areas of the upper part ( 6 ) that cover the inner aeration channel ( 8 ) being formed with inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) extending from the lower surface to the upper surface, all of the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) being spaced apart from one another at all locations on each inner gas outlet opening ( 46 ) from the lower surface to the upper surface and having a cross-sectional dimension at the upper surface that is the same for all of the inner gas outlet openings ( 46 ) and that is different than the cross-sectional dimension of outer gas outlet openings ( 36 ), wherein the sam

Assignees

• Weisshaar Stefan
• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh

Inventors

• Weisshaar Stefan

Classifications

• B01F2215/0404

  theories or general explanations of phenomena associated with mixing or generalizations of a concept by comparison of equivalent methods · CPC title

• B01F2215/0431

  Numerical size values, e.g. diameter of a hole or conduit, area, volume, length, width, or ratios thereof · CPC title

• C12M29/06 Primary

  Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers (per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26) · CPC title

• B01F2003/04673

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/04106 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic