Purification systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940485-B2
Application number	US-201716323885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A purification system and method may include a container receiving portion, pump, and magnetic field generating element. The container receiving portion may be configured to receive and support a container containing a mixture. Magnetic beads may be added to the container for separating a target substance from a remainder of the mixture. The magnetic field generating element may be movable relative to the container receiving portion between a non-working position remote from the container receiving portion and a working position adjacent an outer periphery of the container receiving portion. In the working position, the magnetic field generating element may attract the magnetic beads and hold them firmly against an interior surface of the container. While the magnetic beads are immobilized by the magnetic field generating element, the pump may remove the mixture from the container, leaving behind the magnetic beads bound tightly but reversibly to the target substance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A purification system comprising:
a container receiving portion configured to receive and support a first container containing a mixture;
a first pump configured to remove the mixture from the first container after a target substance has been separated from a remainder of the mixture; and
a plurality of magnetic field generating elements, wherein each magnetic field generating element is movable relative to the container receiving portion between a respective position remote from the container receiving portion and a respective position adjacent an outer periphery of the container receiving portion;
wherein the magnetic field generating elements are arranged around the container receiving portion and movable concurrently toward or away from a center of the container receiving portion.

2. The purification system of claim 1 , the first magnetic field generating element being configured to move toward and away from the container receiving portion along a first fixed path.

3. The purification system of claim 2 , the first fixed path being linear and aligned with a first imaginary radial line emanating from the center of the container receiving portion.

4. The purification system of claim 1 , comprising an actuator configured to move the first magnetic field generating element from the first position to the second position.

5. The purification system of claim 1 , the first magnetic field generating element including a first permanent magnet.

6. The purification system of claim 5 , the first permanent magnet having a maximum magnetic pull force equal to or greater than 100 N.

7. The purification system of claim 1 , comprising magnetic beads adapted to be submerged in the mixture in the first container and each having an exterior surface configured to temporarily bind to the target substance to separate the target substance from the remainder of the mixture, wherein the first magnetic field generating element is configured to hold the magnetic beads against an interior surface of the first container when the first magnetic field generating element is arranged in the second position.

8. The purification system of claim 1 , the container receiving portion being configured to receive and support a container having a volume greater than or equal to 0.5 L.

9. The purification system of claim 1 , comprising a second container and a second pump configured to transfer the mixture from the second container to the first container.

10. The purification system of claim 9 , the first pump being configured to remove the mixture from the first container simultaneously while the second pump transfers the mixture from the second container to the first container such that a continuous flow of the mixture through the first container is achieved.

11. The purification system of claim 10 , wherein the first magnetic field generating element, when arranged in the second position, is configured to magnetically attract and hold magnetic beads submerged in the mixture against an interior surface of the first container such that the first pump does not remove the magnetic beads from the first container when removing the mixture from the first container.

12. A purification method comprising:
adding a mixture including a target substance and magnetic beads to a first container received and supported by a container receiving portion;
separating the target substance from a remainder of the mixture with the magnetic beads, wherein the target substance temporarily binds to the magnetic beads;
applying a magnetic field with a plurality of magnetic field generating elements to hold the magnetic beads against an interior surface of the first container, wherein each magnetic field generating element is movable relative to the container receiving portion between a respective position remote from the container receiving portion and a respective position adjacent an outer periphery of the container receiving portion, and the magnetic field generating elements are arranged around the container receiving portion and movable concurrently toward or away from a center of the container receiving portion; and
removing the mixture from the first container with a first pump while the magnetic field holds the magnetic beads against the interior surface of the first container.

13. The purification method of claim 12 , comprising adding a washing fluid to the first container after removing the mixture from the first container, and subsequently removing the washing fluid from the first container while the magnetic field holds the magnetic beads against the interior surface of the first container.

14. The purification method of claim 12 , comprising adding an eluent to the first container after removing the mixture from the container to elute the target substance bound to the magnetic beads, and subsequently removing the eluent and the target substance from the first container while the magnetic field holds the magnetic beads against the interior surface of the first container.

15. The purification method of claim 12 , wherein applying the magnetic field to hold the magnetic beads against an interior surface of the first container comprises activating an actuator to move at least one magnetic field generating element from a first position remote from the first container to a second position adjacent an exterior surface of the first container.

16. The purification method of claim 12 , wherein applying the magnetic field to hold the magnetic beads against the interior surface of the first container comprises arranging a plurality of permanent magnets arranged around a perimeter of the first container at equally spaced intervals.

17. The purification method of claim 16 , wherein each permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets has a maximum magnetic pull force equal to or greater than 100 N.

18. The purification method of claim 12 , further comprising:
before adding the mixture including the target substance and magnetic beads to the first container, adding the mixture including the target substance and the magnetic beads to a second container separate from the first container;
in the second container, separating the target substance from a remainder of the mixture with the magnetic beads, wherein the target substance temporarily binds to the magnetic beads;
wherein adding the mixture including the target substance to the first container includes transferring a first volume of the mixture and a first quantity of the magnetic beads from the second container to the first container, wherein a volume of the first container is less than a volume of the second container;
wherein removing the mixture from the first container while the magnetic field holds the magnetic beads against the interior surface of the first container comprises removing the first volume of the mixture from the first container while the magnetic field holds the first quantity of the magnetic beads against the interior surface of the first container;
transferring a second volume of the mixture and a second quantity of the magnetic beads from the second container to the first container; and
removing the second volume of the mixture from the first container while the magnetic field holds the first and second quantities of the magnetic beads against the interior surface of the first container.

19. The purification method of claim 18 , wherein removing the first volume of the mixture from the first container comprises removing the first volume of the mixture from the first container while simultaneously

Assignees

• Amgen Inc

Inventors

• Schulz Craig Michael
• Provchy Justin James
• Kawooya John Kasajja

Classifications

• B03C2201/26

  for use in medical or biological applications · CPC title

• B03C2201/18

  Magnetic separation whereby the particles are suspended in a liquid · CPC title

• B03C1/30

  Combinations with other devices, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B03C1/284

  with associated cleaning means, e.g. retractable non-magnetic sleeve · CPC title

• B03C1/01 Primary

  by addition of magnetic adjuvants · CPC title