Bioprocessing installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12441975-B2
Application number	US-202017288810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a bioprocessing system having a main line for conduction of a main flow of a liquid medium, having a main flow pump and having a system part connected to the main line. The bioprocessing system comprises a powder transfer system and a feed line which is connected to the powder transfer system and which opens into the main line and which comprises a return flow preventer for prevention of a return flow of liquid medium, the powder transfer system feeds the additive into the feed line in powder form and drives it toward the feed point by means of a pressurized transport gas and at least some of the fed additive is input into the liquid medium within the main line downstream of the feed point before the liquid medium enriched with the additive passes through or reaches the system part connected to the main line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bioprocessing system comprising:
a main line for conduction of a main flow of a liquid medium,
a main flow pump for generation of the main flow, and
a system part connected to the main line,
wherein the bioprocessing system further comprises:
a powder transfer system for metered delivery, in particular dust-free metered delivery, of an additive, and
a feed line which is connected to the powder transfer system and which opens into the main line at a feed point and which comprises a return flow preventer for prevention of a return flow of liquid medium, wherein the powder transfer system feeds the additive into the feed line in powder form and drives it toward the feed point by a pressurized transport gas and wherein at least some of the additive is input into the liquid medium within the main line downstream of the feed point before the liquid medium enriched with the additive passes through or reaches the system part connected to the main line;
wherein the powder transfer system comprises a transport gas source for the pressurized transport gas and wherein the powder transfer system feeds the additive into the feed line by the pressurized transport gas.

2. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium is fermentation broth, and/or, wherein the system part connected to the main line is a bioprocessing functional element for filtration of the fermentation broth or an accommodation container for accommodation of the liquid medium, and/or, wherein the additive is a filter aid and/or salt and/or nutrient.

3. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the bioprocessing system comprises the powder transfer system for dust-free metered delivery, of a filter aid and the feed line which is connected to the powder transfer system and which opens into the main line at the feed point and which comprises the return flow preventer for prevention of a return flow of fermentation broth, wherein the powder transfer system feeds the filter aid into the feed line in powder form and drives it toward the feed point by the pressurized transport gas and wherein at least some of the filter aid is suspended in the fermentation broth within the main line downstream of the feed point before the fermentation broth enriched with the filter aid passes through a filter arrangement.

4. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bioprocessing system comprises a liquid storage container, and wherein the liquid medium is fed from the liquid storage container into the feed point via the main line.

5. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feed line and/or the main line and/or the return flow preventer and/or the main flow pump, as single-use component, is/are formed at least in part from a plastics material, and/or from a polymer material.

6. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the return flow preventer blocks fluid flow in the direction of the powder transfer system and, upon exceeding of a switching pressure gradient in the flow direction of the return flow preventer, lets through a flow of the additive in the direction of the main line and/or wherein the return flow preventer is constructed in the manner of a check valve and comprises a valve body which is spring-elastic or is spring-preloaded by a spring arrangement.

7. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feed line is always free of liquid medium between the powder transfer system and the return flow preventer.

8. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the additive is suspended or dissolved in the liquid medium.

9. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the main line comprises, on an entry side of the system part connected to the main line, an actuatable valve arrangement via which the liquid medium is recirculatable.

10. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the bioprocessing system comprises a control arrangement and wherein the powder transfer system and/or the valve arrangement relating to recirculation and/or the main flow pump is/are actuatable by the control arrangement.

11. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a sensor arrangement which ascertains a characteristic of the liquid medium enriched by the additive is provided and wherein the control arrangement actuates the powder transfer system and/or the valve arrangement relating to recirculation and/or the main flow pump depending on one or more sensor values of the sensor arrangement, wherein the characteristic ascertained is the concentration of the additive in the liquid medium and/or a temporal course of the concentration of the additive in the liquid medium and/or an input pressure or pressure profile in the main line.

12. A method for operation of a bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the additive is fed into the feed line in powder form by the powder transfer system and it is driven toward the feed point by a pressurized transport gas and wherein at least some of the additive is delivered into the liquid medium within the main line downstream of the feed point before the liquid medium enriched with the additive passes through or reaches the system part connected to the main line.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the main flow pump is operated such that a switching pressure gradient in the flow direction of the return flow preventer is always fallen short of.

14. A use of a sterile-packed transfer set composed of prefabricated system components for construction of a bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transfer set in the sterile packaging comprises at least the feed line including the return flow preventer.

15. The use as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the transfer set in the sterile packaging additionally comprises the main line which is connected to the feed line in a prefabricated manner at the feed point, wherein the transfer set in the sterile packaging comprises at least part of the liquid storage container, which is connected to the main line in a prefabricated manner at the feed point.

16. The use as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the feed line and/or the main line and/or the return flow preventer and/or the main flow pump is/are formed at least in part from a plastics material and/or from a polymer material.

17. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the powder transfer system comprises a transport gas source for the pressurized transport gas and wherein the powder transfer system feeds the additive into the feed line by the pressurized transport gas, wherein the powder transfer system feeds the additive discontinuously into the feed line or wherein the powder transfer system feeds the additive continuously into the feed line.

18. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feed line is always free of liquid medium between the powder transfer system and the return flow preventer, wherein the feed line is free of liquid medium between the return flow preventer and the feed point at least in the case of a steady main flow.

19. The bioprocessing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the additive is suspended or dissolved in the liquid medium, wherein the suspension or dissolution of the additive in the liquid medium stems from the liquid flow in the main line and/or in the main flow pump, wherein the main line comprises at least one mixing section downstream of the feed point, and wherein the main line comprises mixing shapes in the form of flow

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh

Inventors

• Diel Bernhard

Classifications

• C12M47/10

  Separation or concentration of fermentation products (bioreactors combined with means for distillation or extraction of liquid fuel C12M43/02) · CPC title

• C12M29/14

  Pressurized fluid · CPC title

• C12M29/02

  Percolation · CPC title

• C12M23/36

  Means for collection or storage of gas; Gas holders · CPC title

• C12M23/34

  Internal compartments or partitions · CPC title