Container having wall protrusion and sensor region

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11680240-B2
Application number	US-201816764822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A container having at least one wall protrusion for mounting at least one sensor from the outside for sensing at least one variable of a medium contained in a container interior is provided. The wall protrusion can be arranged on a container wall and configured to at least partly extend around the container interior and the medium. The wall protrusion can include at least one sensor region that is configured so that the at least one variable can be sensed through the sensor region by means of the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container comprising:
a container wall;
a container interior; and
at least one wall protrusion element for attaching at least one sensor from an outer side of the container for sensing at least one variable of a medium contained in the container interior,
wherein the wall protrusion element comprises a wall protrusion and a wall bulge, and the wall bulge comprises a shape that is substantially spherical, substantially hemispherical, a section of an ellipsoid, or a spherical section that does not correspond to a hemisphere,
wherein the wall protrusion is arranged on the container wall and at least partly surrounds the container interior and the medium, and
wherein the at least one wall protrusion element comprises at least one sensor region through which a variable of the medium can be determined using a sensor device that does not contact the medium.

2. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall protrusion has a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis encloses an angle with a normal of an imaginary contour line for defining a sample volume of −45° to 45° and/or a width axis of the at least one wall protrusion encloses an angle of −45° to 45° with a width axis of the container.

3. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor region comprises an optical element that includes a window.

4. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall protrusion comprises two protrusion walls, the two protrusion walls being parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other by a sample layer thickness,
wherein the protrusion walls have a protrusion length such that the wall protrusion surrounds a slit-shaped volume, wherein at least one of the protrusion walls comprises the sensor region.

5. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall protrusion comprises a diffusely scattering surface, and
wherein the sensor device comprises an optical fiber and the variable is determined by transflection or double transmission by means of reflection at the diffusely scattering surface.

6. The container according to claim 4 , wherein the two protrusion walls each comprise a window and the windows are arranged so that the variable can be determined by the sensor device through a transmissive beam path arrangement.

7. The container according to claim 1 , comprising a sensor attaching device for attaching the sensor device relative to the at least one wall protrusion.

8. The container according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor attaching device comprises at least one receiving device configured to receive an additional optical element, wherein the additional optical element comprises at least one lens, mirror, prism, pinhole, or combination thereof.

9. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the container is disposable bioreactor container.

10. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the wall protrusion element has at least one access point, wherein the at least one access point is configured to receive a pH electrode to determine a pH value of the medium through the at least one access point.

11. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall protrusion comprises protrusion walls, which at least in sections each have an extension protruding into a container inner side or wherein the wall protrusion comprises protrusion walls protruding into the container inner side.

12. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall protrusion comprises a channel, wherein the channel is at least partly surrounded by a channel guide and/or a guide section, and wherein the channel is configured to guide a moving medium from a channel inlet to a channel outlet in one flow direction.

13. A wall protrusion element for fastening on a container wall of a container, the wall protrusion element comprising:
a wall protrusion and a wall bulge,
wherein the wall bulge comprises a shape that is substantially spherical, substantially hemispherical, a section of an ellipsoid, or a spherical section that does not correspond to a hemisphere,
wherein the wall protrusion is configured to receive at least one sensor from an outer side of the container for sensing at least one variable of a medium contained in a container interior,
wherein the wall protrusion is configured to at least partly surround the container interior and to extend outwardly from a container wall contour of the container wall; and
wherein the wall protrusion element comprises at least one sensor region configured so that the variable can be sensed through the sensor region by means of the at least one sensor.

14. The wall protrusion element according to claim 13 , wherein the wall protrusion element is configured for removable attachment of the wall protrusion element to the container wall.

15. The wall protrusion element according to claim 13 , wherein the wall protrusion element is configured to be permanently fixedly to the container wall.

16. The wall protrusion element according to claim 13 , wherein the wall protrusion has a longitudinal axis along which it extends, and wherein the longitudinal axis encloses an angle of −45° to 45° with a normal of an imaginary contour line for defining a sample volume.

17. The wall protrusion element according to claim 13 , wherein the wall protrusion element is sterilized.

18. The wall protrusion element according to claim 13 , wherein a wall protrusion comprises protrusion walls, which at least in sections have an extension that protrudes onto a container inner side or wherein a wall protrusion comprises protrusion walls, which protrude onto the container inner side.

19. The wall protrusion element according to claim 13 , wherein the wall protrusion comprises a channel, which is at least partly surrounded by a channel guide and/or a guide section, and the channel is designed to guide a moving medium from a channel inlet to a channel outlet in one flow direction.

20. A method for providing a sensing of at least one variable of a medium contained in a container interior of a container, comprising the steps of:
arranging a wall protrusion element comprising a wall protrusion and a wall bulge on a container wall of the container so that the wall bulge extends outwardly from a container wall contour of the container wall, wherein the wall bulge comprises a shape that is substantially spherical, substantially hemispherical, a section of an ellipsoid, or a spherical section that does not correspond to a hemisphere;
at least partly surrounding the container interior and the medium by the wall protrusion;
providing at least one sensor region on the wall protrusion;
attaching from an outer side of the container at least one sensor relative to at least one wall protrusion; and
sensing the variable of the medium through the sensor region by means of the at least one sensor.

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh

Inventors

• Hoehse Marek
• Regen Thomas

Classifications

• C12M23/14

  Bags · CPC title

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• G01N2021/0364

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• C12M41/30 Primary

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• G01N2201/08

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