Continuous blade impeller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11739289-B2
Application number	US-202016854183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2020
Priority date	Apr 22, 2019
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

An impeller is usable in a variable diameter bioreactor having multiple vessel sections of successively increasing or decreasing volume. The impeller includes an impeller blade extending along an impeller blade axis between first and second axial ends and having opposed impeller blade faces, an impeller blade leading edge, and an impeller blade trailing edge. Each of the leading and trailing edges defines a helix or spiral between the axial ends of the impeller blade. In certain arrangements, the impeller blade is one of at least two impeller blades joined together along an impeller shaft extending axially along the impeller blade axis mentioned, and the helix or spiral has a pitch approximately equal to one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An impeller usable in a variable diameter bioreactor having multiple vessel sections of successively increasing or decreasing volume, the impeller comprising:
an impeller blade having an edge extending along an impeller blade axis between first and second axial ends and having opposed impeller blade faces, an impeller blade leading edge, and an impeller blade trailing edge;
wherein the leading and trailing edges each define a helix or spiral between the first and second axial ends of the impeller blade;
wherein the impeller blade is one of at least two impeller blades that are each joined together along an axially extending impeller shaft; and
wherein the at least two impeller blades are attached to the impeller shaft.

2. The impeller according to claim 1 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch approximately equal to one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

3. The impeller according to claim 1 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch higher than one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

4. The impeller according to claim 1 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch lower than one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

5. An impeller usable in a bioreactor, the impeller comprising:
an impeller blade having an edge extending along an impeller blade axis between first and second axial ends and having opposed impeller blade faces, an impeller blade leading edge, and an impeller blade trialing edge, wherein
the leading and trailing edges each define a helix or spiral between the first and second axial ends of the impeller blade,
wherein the impeller blade is one of at least two impeller blades that are each joined together along an axially extending impeller shaft; and

wherein the at least two impeller blades are attached to the impeller shaft.

6. The impeller according to claim 5 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch approximately equal to one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

7. The impeller according to claim 5 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch higher than one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

8. The impeller according to claim 5 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch lower than one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

9. A variable diameter bioreactor comprising:
a variable diameter bioreactor having multiple vessel sections of successively increasing or decreasing volume; and
an impeller having an impeller shaft and an impeller blade, the impeller blade having an edge extending along the impeller shaft between the first and second axial ends of the shaft and having opposed impeller blade faces, an impeller blade leading edge, and an impeller blade trailing edge, wherein
the leading and trailing edges each define a helix or spiral between the first and second axial ends of the impeller blade,
wherein the impeller blade is one of at least two impeller blades that are each joined together along an axially extending impeller shaft; and
wherein the at least two impeller blades are attached to the impeller shaft.

10. The variable diameter bioreactor arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch approximately equal to one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

11. The variable diameter bioreactor arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch higher than one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

12. The variable diameter bioreactor arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein the helix or spiral has a pitch lower than one half of a length between the first and second axial ends.

13. A process for treating a microorganism culture comprising:
placing a fluid containing the microorganism culture in a variable diameter bioreactor arrangement, including a variable diameter bioreactor having multiple vessel sections of successively increasing or decreasing volume and an impeller having an impeller shaft, an impeller blade having an edge extending along the impeller shaft between first and second axial ends of the shaft and including opposed impeller blade faces, an impeller blade leading edge, and an impeller blade trailing edge, with the leading and trailing edges each defining a helix or spiral between the first and second axial ends of the impeller blade; and
rotating the impeller in the fluid containing the microorganism culture;
wherein the impeller blade is one of at least two impeller blades that are each joined together along an axially extending impeller shaft; and
wherein the at least two impeller blades are attached to the impeller shaft.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the impeller is rotated at a rate of 54-75 rpm.

15. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the variable diameter reactor has a 20,000 liter fluid capacity.

Assignees

• Lonza Ag

Inventors

• Mietzner Michael
• Falk Richard
• Beri Rajesh
• Caswell Mark

Classifications

• C12M27/02 Primary

  Stirrer or mobile mixing elements · CPC title

• B01F27/1125

  with vanes or blades extending parallel or oblique to the stirrer axis · CPC title

• B01F27/191

  with similar elements · CPC title

• B01F2101/44

  Mixing of ingredients for microbiology, enzymology, in vitro culture or genetic manipulation · CPC title

• B01F27/1143

  screw-shaped, e.g. worms · CPC title