Fluid supply interface, in particular for supplying cell culture containers, comprising fluid channels variably connectable to the fluid line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550360-B2
Application number	US-201515536764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A fluid supply interface includes a line component having a first coupling formation for the temporary coupling of a first fluid channel, a second coupling formation for the temporary coupling of a second fluid channel, and a third coupling formation for the temporary or permanent coupling of a third fluid channel, each of said coupling formations being penetrated by a fluid line section, wherein in the line component, a fluid line assembly is formed, by means of which each fluid line section of the first, second and third coupling formations is or can be connected to each fluid line section of the other two coupling formations for the purpose of fluid transport.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid supply interface for a cell culture system for introducing a fluid into a cell culture container and/or for draining a fluid therefrom, comprising
a line component having
a first coupling formation for coupling of a first fluid channel,
a second coupling formation for coupling of a second fluid channel, and
a third coupling formation for coupling of a third fluid channel,
each of said coupling formations being penetrated by a fluid line section,

wherein the line component includes a fluid line assembly that selectively allows each fluid line section of the first, second and third coupling formations to be connected to each fluid line section of the other two coupling formations for the purpose of fluid transport,
wherein the fluid supply interface further includes a fluid channel base which is movable relative to the line component and which includes at least two fluid channel base connector formations, which are embodied as separate from one another and are connected to different fluid channels for the purpose of fluid transport, each of said fluid channel base connector formations being penetrated by a fluid channel section, and
wherein one of the three coupling formations is embodied as a switchable coupling formation for temporary production of a common fluid line segment with a fluid channel base connector formation, which is selected from among the fluid channel base connector formations by a relative movement between the line component and the fluid channel base.

2. The fluid supply interface according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid channel base has at least two relative operating positions, in each of which the selected fluid channel base connector formation is selected as a coupling connector formation by being in closer proximity to the switchable coupling formation than others of the fluid channel base connector formations.

3. The fluid supply interface according to claim 2 , wherein when the coupling connector formation is in closer proximity to the switchable coupling formation, the coupling connector formation is in a coupling ready position, in which the fluid channel section that penetrates the coupling connector formation and the fluid line section that penetrates the switchable coupling formation are aligned with one another, or in that when the coupling connector formation is in closer proximity to the switchable coupling formation the coupling connector formation is in a coupling position, in which the fluid channel section that penetrates the coupling connector formation and the fluid line section that penetrates the switchable coupling formation are coupled to form the common fluid line segment that penetrates the coupling connector formation and the switchable coupling formation.

4. The fluid supply interface according to claim 3 , wherein the coupling connector formation is configured to be displaced between the coupling ready position and the coupling position without changing a relative position between the fluid channel base and the line component.

5. The fluid supply interface according to claim 4 ,
wherein the coupling connector formation is configured to be displaced relative to the fluid channel base between the coupling ready position and the coupling position along a coupling path, and is configured to be moved together with the fluid channel base relative to the line component along a selection path defined by a guide means,
wherein coupling path and selection path are different and are preferably orthogonal to one another.

6. The fluid supply interface according to claim 4 , further comprising a power unit for displacing the coupling connector formation from the coupling ready position to the coupling position.

7. The fluid supply interface according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid line assembly connects the fluid line sections of the first, second, and third coupling formations of the line component to one another in parallel or in series,
wherein the parallel connection is configured as radial and the series connection is configured as arcuate or polygonal in the line component.

8. The fluid supply interface according to claim 1 wherein the fluid line assembly includes a receiving recess in a region of at least one coupling formation offset into the line component in a direction orthogonal to the opening surface of a mouth of the fluid line section that penetrates the coupling formation in the at least one coupling formation, said receiving recess being configured for temporary accommodation of a valve body and being configured as at least partially complementary to a section of the surface of the valve body.

9. The fluid supply interface according to claim 1 , wherein a mouth of the fluid line section at the switchable coupling formation is encompassed by a seal or by a contact surface, which is configured for attachment thereon of a seal that is provided on each of the fluid channel base connector formations.

10. The fluid supply interface according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the coupling formations is permanently coupled to a fluid channel connector formation to form a second common fluid line segment that penetrates the fluid channel connector formation and the at least one of the coupling formations.

11. The fluid supply interface according to claim 1 , wherein each of the coupling formations has a valve seat and a valve body, which rests on the valve seat in an operating mode in which a respective coupling formation is blocked for fluid passage.

12. The fluid supply interface according to claim 11 , wherein the valve body is made at least partially of ferromagnetic material, and in that the valve seat has a magnet, which magnet magnetically prestresses the valve body into a closed position, in which the valve body rests on the valve seat.

13. The fluid supply interface according to claim 11 , wherein at least one displacement section of the fluid line assembly that proceeds from each of the coupling formations and extends toward a further one of the coupling formations is dimensioned such that the at least one displacement section permits a displacement of the valve body away from the respective coupling formation and back.

14. The fluid supply interface according to any of claim 11 , wherein the valve body includes ferromagnetic material, and in that the fluid supply interface has a magnetic switching device with magnetic field strengths that are configured to be adjusted locally at the coupling formations, and with which the valve body can be released from the valve seat.

15. The fluid supply interface according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid channel base is rotatable relative to the line component about a rotational axis which is parallel to the orientation of the fluid line section that penetrates the switchable coupling formation, or is displaceable relative to the line component along a translational axis, which is orthogonal to the orientation of the fluid line section that penetrates the switchable coupling formation.

16. A cell culture system having at least one cell culture container, at least two separate fluid reservoirs, a fluid disposal sink and a fluid supply interface according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cell culture container includes a connector formation,
wherein the fluid channel base connector formations are fluidically connected to the fluid reservoirs,
wherein the first coupling formation of the line component is configured to produce a temporary fluid transport connection with the cell culture container connector formation, the second coupling formation of the line component is confi

Assignees

• Hamilton Bonaduz Ag

Inventors

• Grosch Jens
• Kissling Tom
• Zumstein Thomas

Classifications

• A61M39/223

  Multiway valves · CPC title

• C12M23/40 Primary

  Manifolds; Distribution pieces (fluid transfer means B01L3/563) · CPC title

• C12M23/08

  Flask, bottle or test tube · CPC title

• F16L41/03

  comprising junction pieces for four or more pipe members · CPC title

• A61M2039/248

  Ball-valve · CPC title