System, method and apparatus for draining a bioreactor vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11708555-B2
Application number	US-201916426028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2019
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus for draining a bioreactor vessel includes a tubular body portion having an interior passageway, and at least one aperture in the tubular body portion providing for fluid communication with the interior passageway, the tubular body portion being configured for positioning at a bottom of a vessel, and a suction tube having a first end configured for fluid coupling with the tubular body portion, and a second end configured for fluid coupling with a port in a sidewall of the vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for draining a bioreactor, comprising:
a tubular body portion having an interior passageway, at least one aperture in the tubular body portion providing for fluid communication with the interior passageway, and a flange portion configured for attachment to a bottom of a vessel, the at least one aperture being located in the tubular body portion above an upper surface of the flange portion;
a drain flange positionable over the tubular body portion and the flange portion of the tubular body portion, whereby when positioned over the tubular body portion, the drain flange extends over the upper surface and a side surface of the flange portion of the tubular body portion, and beyond a periphery of the side surface to extend over a portion of the bottom of the vessel, the positioning of the drain flange over the flange portion of the tubular body portion defining a first space between the bottom of the vessel and a bottom surface of the drain flange, and a second space between the upper surface and side surface of the flange portion of the tubular body portion and the bottom surface of the drain flange, the first space and the second space in fluid communication, wherein the first space and the second space delineate a drainage passage for a flow of a fluid from the bottom of the vessel to between the drain flange and the bottom of the vessel, to between the drain flange and the flange portion of the tubular body portion, and into the at least one aperture in the tubular body portion; and
a suction tube having a first end configured for fluid coupling with the tubular body portion, and a second end configured for fluid coupling with a port in a sidewall of the vessel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the vessel is a flexible bioprocessing bag.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the drainage passage comprises a plurality of radially extending channels in the bottom surface of the drain flange;
wherein the plurality of channels provide fluid communication between an interior of the vessel and the at least one aperture in the tubular body portion.

4. A bioprocessing apparatus, comprising:
a flexible bioprocessing bag; and
an apparatus for draining the flexible bioprocessing bag positioned at a bottom of the flexible bioprocessing bag, the apparatus including:
a tubular body portion having an interior passageway, at least one aperture in the tubular body portion providing for fluid communication with the interior passageway, and a flange portion configured for attachment to a bottom of a flexible bioprocessing bag, the at least one aperture being located in the tubular body portion above an upper surface of the flange portion;
a drain flange positionable over the tubular body portion and the flange portion of the tubular body portion, whereby when positioned over the tubular body portion, the drain flange extends over the upper surface and a side surface of the flange portion of the tubular body portion, and beyond a periphery of the side surface to extend over a portion of the bottom of the bioprocessing bag, the positioning of the drain flange over the flange portion of the tubular body portion defining a first space between the bottom of the bioprocessing bag and a bottom surface of the drain flange, and a second space between the upper surface and side surface of the flange portion of the tubular body portion and the bottom surface of the drain flange, the first space and the second space in fluid communication, wherein the first space and the second space delineate a drainage passage for a flow of a fluid from the bottom of the bioprocessing bag to between the drain flange and the bottom of the bioprocessing bag, to between the drain flange and the flange portion of the tubular body portion, and into the at least one aperture in the tubular body portion; and
a suction tube having a first end configured for fluid coupling with the tubular body portion, and a second end configured for fluid coupling with a port in a sidewall of the flexible bioprocessing bag.

5. The bioprocessing system of claim 4 , wherein:
the drainage passage comprises a plurality of radially extending channels in the bottom surface of the drain flange;
wherein the plurality of channels provide fluid communication between an interior of the flexible bioprocessing bag and the at least one aperture in the tubular body portion.

6. The bioprocessing system of claim 4 , further comprising:
an external drain tube connected to the port from an exterior side of the flexible bag; and
a peristaltic pump in engagement with the external drain tube.

7. The bioprocessing system of claim 6 , wherein:
the peristaltic pump is operable in a first mode wherein fluid is drawn from the interior of the flexible bioprocessing bag, through the space between the bottom of the flexible bioprocessing bag and the drain flange, into the interior passageway of the tubular body portion via the at least one aperture, through the suction tube and out of the flexible bioprocessing bag through the port, and a second mode wherein the peristaltic pump is operated in reverse to pump air into the suction tube to maintain an air block within the suction tube to prevent the fluid from entering the suction tube.

8. An apparatus for draining a bioreactor, comprising:
a drain flange positioned about a drain opening in a bottom of a vessel;
a tubular body portion extending through the drain flange and the drain opening, the tubular body portion having an interior passageway, and at least one aperture in a peripheral sidewall of the tubular body portion providing for fluid communication with the interior passageway, the interior passageway having a lower portion proximate the drain flange and the drain opening with a first diameter, an upper portion distal to the drain flange and the drain opening with a second diameter that is less than the first diameter, and a shoulder forming a transition between the lower portion and the upper portion that defines a stepped area of the interior passageway, the at least one aperture located below the shoulder;
a suction tube having a first end configured for fluid coupling with the tubular body portion, and a second end configured for fluid coupling with a port in a sidewall of the vessel; and
a plunger slidably received within the interior passageway of the tubular body portion, wherein the plunger movable between a closed position where there is no fluid communication between the at least one aperture and the suction tube and an open position where the at least one aperture is in fluid communication with the suction tube, wherein the plunger includes a sealing head configured to sealingly engage an interior sidewall of the interior passageway of the tubular body portion, the sealing head sealingly engaging with the interior sidewall of the interior passageway adiacent the shoulder when the plunger is in the closed position and sealingly engaging with the interior sidewall of the interior passageway below the shoulder at the lower portion of the interior passageway when the plunger is in the open position, wherein the sealing head is shaped to correspond with the stepped area of the interior passageway, wherein the sealing head includes a peak portion, an upper sealing element below the peak portion, a lower sealing element beneath the upper sealing element, and a flexible membrane interconnecting the upper sealing element with the lower sealing element, the upper sealing element having a base sealing element and a top sealing element, the base sealing element and the top sealing element defining a stepped arrangement of the sealing elements that ascends towards the peak portion, wherein the peak portion and the top sealing element are below the

Assignees

• Global Life Sciences Solutions Usa Llc

Inventors

• Damren Richard
• Tuohey Colin
• Stankowski Ralph

Classifications

• C12M33/04 Primary

  by injection or suction, e.g. using pipettes, syringes, needles (pipettes in general B01L3/02) · CPC title

• C12M23/14 Primary

  Bags · CPC title

• C12M23/26

  flexible (flexible containers for laboratory use B01L3/505) · CPC title

• C12M29/00

  Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B) · CPC title

• C12M23/38 Primary

  Caps; Covers; Plugs; Pouring means · CPC title