Method for producing cell concentrate, and cell suspension treatment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168529-A1
Application number	US-201414906320-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Jul 23, 2013
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a method for producing a cell concentrate using a cell suspension treatment system including a storage container of a cell suspension, which has a solution inlet port, a circulation outlet port, and a circulation inlet port, a cell suspension treatment device for concentrating the cell suspension by separating liquid from the cell suspension by filtration, the device including a container having a cell suspension introduction port, a cell suspension lead-out port, and a filtrate outlet, which is filled with a hollow fiber separation membrane, a circulation circuit for concentrating the cell suspension while circulating the cell suspension between the storage container and the cell suspension treatment device, a collection container of a cell concentrate obtained by concentration, a collection path for feeding the cell concentrate to the collection container, an injection path for injecting a solution into the solution inlet port of the storage container, and a detecting unit.

First claim

1 . A method for producing a cell concentrate using a cell suspension treatment system including:
a storage container of a cell suspension, which has a solution inlet port, a circulation outlet port, and a circulation inlet port; a cell suspension treatment device for concentrating the cell suspension by separating liquid from the cell suspension by filtration, the device including a container having a cell suspension introduction port, a cell suspension lead-out port, and a filtrate outlet, which is filled with a hollow fiber separation membrane, a circulation circuit for concentrating the cell suspension while circulating the cell suspension between the storage container and the cell suspension treatment device, the circuit being constituted by an introduction communication tube communicating the circulation inlet port of the storage container and the cell suspension introduction port of the cell suspension treatment device and a lead-out communication tube communicating the cell suspension lead-out port of the cell suspension treatment device and the circulation outlet port of the storage container; a collection container of a cell concentrate obtained by concentration; a collection path for feeding the cell concentrate in the storage container, the cell suspension treatment device, and the circulation circuit to the collection container; an injection path for injecting a solution into the solution inlet port of the storage container; and a detecting unit for detecting a volume of the cell concentrate in the storage container or the introduction communication tube of the circulation circuit, the method comprising: a) a step of storing the cell suspension in the storage container by supplying the cell suspension to the storage container through the solution inlet port; b) a step of concentrating the cell suspension by feeding the cell suspension in the storage container to the cell suspension treatment device through the introduction communication tube of the circulation circuit, and then, circulating the cell suspension into the storage container through the lead-out communication tube of the circulation circuit; c) a step of terminating the step b) by detecting the volume of the cell concentrate in the storage container or the introduction communication tube of the circulation circuit; and d) a step of feeding and collecting the cell concentrate in the storage container, the cell suspension treatment device, and the circulation circuit to the collection container through the collection path.

2 . The method for producing the cell concentrate according to claim 1 , wherein the step b) and the step c) are further repeated after diluting the cell concentrate in the storage container by injecting a diluent into the storage container through the solution inlet port of the storage container after the step c).

3 . The method for producing the cell concentrate according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein priming is performed by injecting priming liquid through the solution inlet port before the step a).

4 . The method for producing the cell concentrate according to claim 1 , wherein the step a) and the step b) are executed in parallel.

5 . The method for producing the cell concentrate according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit for detecting the volume in the circulation circuit is an air bubble sensor provided on the introduction communication tube of the circulation circuit.

6 . The method for producing the cell concentrate according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit for detecting the volume in the storage container is one or more air bubble sensors provided on a circuit parallel with the storage container and communicating with a lower portion of the storage container.

7 . The method for producing the cell concentrate according to claim 6 , wherein a chamber is provided on the circuit communicating with the lower portion of the storage container.

8 . The method for producing the cell concentrate according to claim 1 , wherein an air bubble sensor is provided on the injection path.

9 . A cell suspension treatment system comprising:
a storage container of a cell suspension, which has a solution inlet port, a circulation outlet port, and a circulation inlet port; a cell suspension treatment device for concentrating the cell suspension by separating liquid from the cell suspension by filtration, the device including a container having a cell suspension introduction port, a cell suspension lead-out port, and a filtrate outlet, which is filled with a hollow fiber separation membrane, a circulation circuit for concentrating the cell suspension while circulating the cell suspension between the storage container and the cell suspension treatment device, the circuit being constituted by an introduction communication tube communicating the circulation inlet port of the storage container and the cell suspension introduction port of the cell suspension treatment device and a lead-out communication tube communicating the cell suspension lead-out port of the cell suspension treatment device and the circulation outlet port of the storage container; a collection container for collecting a cell concentrate obtained by concentration; a collection path for feeding the cell concentrate in the storage container, the cell suspension treatment device, and the circulation circuit to the collection container; an injection path for injecting a solution into the solution inlet port of the storage container; a detecting unit for detecting a volume of the cell concentrate in the storage container or the introduction communication tube of the circulation circuit; and a controller that controls the detecting unit to detect concentration of the cell concentrate to a predetermined volume and terminates feeding of the cell concentrate to the cell suspension treatment device from the storage container.

10 . The cell suspension treatment system according to claim 9 , wherein the detecting unit for detecting the volume in the circulation circuit is an air bubble sensor provided on the introduction communication tube of the circulation circuit.

11 . The cell suspension treatment system according to claim 9 , wherein the detecting unit for detecting the volume in the storage container is an air bubble sensor provided on a circuit parallel with the storage container and communicating with a lower portion of the storage container.

12 . The cell suspension treatment system according to claim 11 , wherein a chamber is provided on the circuit communicating with the lower portion of the storage container.

13 . The cell suspension treatment system according to any one of claims 9 to 12 , wherein an air bubble sensor is provided on the injection path.

14 . The cell suspension treatment system according to claim 9 , wherein all the solution inlet port, the circulation outlet port, and the circulation inlet port are provided on a lower portion of the storage container.

15 . The cell suspension treatment system according to claim 9 , wherein a ventilation hole is provided in the vicinity of an upper portion of the storage container and an inner portion of the storage container is an atmospheric opening system.

Assignees

• Kaneka Corp

Inventors

• Taniguchi Shuhei
• Umeda Nobuyoshi
• Sakashita Takaaki
• Sakurai Hiroshi

Classifications

• C12M47/02

  Separating microorganisms from the culture medium; Concentration of biomass (separating microorganisms from their culture media C12N1/02) · CPC title

• A61M1/0218

  with filters · CPC title

• C12M33/04

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

• A61M1/3406

  Physical characteristics of the filtrate, e.g. urea · CPC title

• A61M1/3403

  Regulation parameters · CPC title