Device and method for repeatedly modifying the composition of a fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11931733-B2
Application number	US-202117339891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2021
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A device and a method for repeatedly modifying the composition of a fluid. The device includes a first module ( 19 ) modifying the composition of the fluid, a second module ( 21 ) modifying the composition of the fluid and a dwell module ( 20 ) with an inlet ( 8 ) and an outlet ( 10 ). The first module is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the dwell module inlet and the dwell module outlet is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the second module. Either the first or the second module is a filter unit, or the first module is a first filter unit and the second module is a second filter unit. The filter unit(s) include(s) at least one first filter medium ( 4, 14 ) delimiting a supply channel ( 2, 12 ) and a retentate channel ( 1, 11 ) and at least one second filter medium ( 5, 15 ) delimiting the retentate channel and a permeate channel ( 3, 13 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for repeatedly modifying a composition of a fluid, comprising:
a first module for modifying the composition of the fluid, a second module for modifying the composition of the fluid and a dwell module with an inlet and an outlet,
wherein the first module is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the inlet of the dwell module and the outlet of the dwell module is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the second module,
wherein at least one of the first module and the second module is a filter unit,
wherein the filter unit has:
at least one supply channel,
at least one first filter medium,
at least one retentate channel,
at least one second filter medium, and
at least one permeate channel,

arranged so that the first filter medium delimits the supply channel and the retentate channel from one another, and the second filter medium delimits the retentate channel and the permeate channel from one another,
wherein the supply channel is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to at least one inlet for a supply medium,
wherein the retentate channel is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to at least one inlet for the fluid and to at least one outlet for the fluid,
wherein the permeate channel is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to at least one outlet for a permeate, and wherein either:
(i) the dwell module defines a coherent volume internally subdivided by at least one subdividing element forming a non-linear fluid path, or
(ii) the dwell module comprises a plurality of flow channels arranged in parallel to one another and all connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the inlet of the dwell module and in a fluid-conducting manner to the outlet of the dwell module.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first module is the filter unit and the second module is a second filter unit, and
wherein the second filter unit has:
at least one supply channel,
at least one first filter medium,
at least one retentate channel,
at least one second filter medium, and
at least one permeate channel,

arranged so that the first filter medium delimits the supply channel and the retentate channel from one another, and the second filter medium delimits the retentate channel and the permeate channel from one another.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first module or the second module is a static mixer.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 ,
wherein the first module is the static mixer and the second module is the filter unit.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first module is the filter unit and the second module is a further filter, and
wherein the further filter comprises a single filter medium and/or is selected from the group consisting essentially of: a sterile filter; a dead-end filter; a filter consisting essentially of a supply channel, a single filter medium and a retentate channel; and a filter consisting essentially of a retentate channel, a single filter medium and a permeate channel.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first module comprises a membrane adsorber or a chromatography module, and the second module is the filter unit.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the membrane adsorber is laden with a product and comprises an outlet controlled by a valve.

8. A method for repeatedly modifying a composition of a fluid, comprising:
(a) providing the device as claimed in claim 1 ;
(b) feeding the fluid into the first module; and
(c) conducting the fluid out of the second module,
wherein said step (b) and/or said step (c) comprise/comprises the following steps:
(i) feeding the supply medium into the inlet for the supply medium;
(ii) feeding the fluid into the inlet for the fluid;
(iii) conducting the fluid out through the outlet for the fluid; and
(iv) conducting the permeate out through the outlet for the permeate.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 ,
wherein the fluid which is fed into the first module contains at least one product.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 ,
wherein the fluid which is fed into the first module additionally contains at least one contaminant.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 ,
wherein a pH value of the fluid is reduced and/or increased in the first module, and
wherein, in the second module, the pH value of the fluid is increased and/or reduced.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 ,
wherein the pH value of the fluid is reduced in the first module and wherein the pH value of the fluid is increased in the second module.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8 ,
wherein a dwell time of the fluid in the dwell module is from 1 minute to 24 hours.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8 ,
wherein the first module is the first filter unit and the second module is the second filter unit,
wherein said step (b) comprises the following steps:
(b-i) feeding the supply medium into the inlet of the first filter unit for the supply medium;
(b-ii) feeding the fluid into the inlet of the first filter unit for the fluid;
(b-iii) conducting the fluid out of the first filter unit through the outlet of the first filter unit for the fluid; and
(b-iv) conducting the permeate out of the first filter unit through the outlet of the first filter unit for the permeate, and
step (c) comprises the following steps:
(c-i) feeding the supply medium into the inlet of the second filter unit for the supply medium;
(c-ii) feeding the fluid into the inlet of the second filter unit for the fluid;
(c-iii) conducting the fluid out of the second filter unit through the outlet of the second filter unit for the fluid; and
(c-iv) conducting the permeate out of the second filter unit through the outlet of the second filter unit for the permeate.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises a virus and wherein the virus is inactivated prior to said step (c) of conducting the fluid out of the second module.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one supply channel, the at least one retentate channel, the at least one permeate channel, the at least one first filter medium, and the at least one second filter medium are configured as a cross-flow filter module.

17. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the dwell module comprises a fluid path having one or more meandering channels and/or one or more spiral shaped channels extending in a longitudinal direction.

18. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one subdividing element comprises at least one of: at least one deflector plate, at least one deflector film, and a plurality of deflector films mutually separated by respective spacers.

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh

Inventors

• Leuthold Martin
• Helling Alexander
• Grummert Ulrich

Classifications

• B01D61/146 Primary

  comprising multiple ultrafiltration steps · CPC title

• B01L3/502 Primary

  with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures · CPC title

• G05D21/00

  Control of chemical or physico-chemical variables, e.g. pH value · CPC title

• B01L2200/0631

  Purification arrangements, e.g. solid phase extraction [SPE] · CPC title

• B01L2300/0663

  Whole sensors · CPC title