Filtration systems and methods for manufacturing biologically-produced products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019070564-A1
Application number	US-201816120200-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Mar 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to filtration systems and methods for production of biologically-produced products, which may include pharmaceutical and/or protein products. Certain biomanufacturing systems described herein comprise a bioreactor (e.g., a perfusion bioreactor, a chemostat) and a filter probe comprising a filter bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fibers (e.g., longitudinally aligned hollow fibers). According to some embodiments, a center-to-center distance between any two hollow fibers within the fiber bundle at one or more points along a length of the fiber bundle is relatively large (e.g., greater than or equal to an average outer diameter of the hollow fibers of the fiber bundle, greater than or equal to 1.1 times a minimum diameter of the two hollow fibers). In some embodiments, the hollow fibers within the fiber bundle are arranged in an array (e.g., a hexagonal, linear, annular, or square array).

First claim

1 - 3 . (canceled)

4 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the hollow fibers of the fiber bundle have an average outer diameter in a range between about 0.5 mm and about 5 mm.

5 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the hollow fibers of the fiber bundle have an average inner diameter in a range between about 0.1 mm and about 5 mm.

6 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the hollow fibers of the fiber bundle are arranged in an array.

7 . The filter probe of claim 6 , wherein the array is a hexagonal, linear, annular, or square array.

8 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the fiber bundle comprises at least about 10 hollow fibers.

9 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the filter bundle comprises a structured segment over which the center-to-center distance between any two hollow fibers within the fiber bundle is greater than or equal to the average outer diameter of the hollow fibers of the fiber bundle.

10 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the filter bundle comprises a structured segment over which the center-to-center distance between any two hollow fibers within the fiber bundle is greater than or equal to 1.1 times a minimum diameter of the two hollow fibers.

11 . The filter probe of claim 10 , wherein the structured segment has a length of at least about 50 mm.

12 . The filter probe of claim 10 , wherein the hollow fibers within the structured segment have a surface area of at least about 20 cm 2 .

13 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein at least one hollow fiber within the fiber bundle comprises a plurality of pores having an average pore size as measured by porometry in a range between about 0.025 μm and about 2.0 μm.

14 . (canceled)

15 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein at least one hollow fiber within the fiber bundle comprises a plurality of pores having a molecular weight cut-off pore size between about 1 kDa and about 250 kDa.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein at least one hollow fiber within the fiber bundle comprises a plurality of pores having a molecular weight cut-off pore size between about 1 kDa and about 100,000 kDa.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein one or more hollow fibers within the fiber bundle comprise a polymer, a ceramic, and/or a metal.

20 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the filter probe has a diameter of about 50 mm or less.

21 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the filter probe has a diameter of about 25 mm or less and comprises 2500 or fewer fibers.

22 . (canceled)

23 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the filter probe is configured to withstand a pressure differential between about −5 bar and about 5 bar.

24 . (canceled)

25 . A filter probe, comprising:
a fiber bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fibers, wherein a center-to-center distance between any two hollow fibers within the fiber bundle at one or more points along a length of the fiber bundle is greater than or equal to 1.1 times a minimum diameter of the two hollow fibers.

26 . A filter probe, comprising:
a fiber bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fibers, wherein a center-to-center distance between any two hollow fibers within the fiber bundle at one or more points along a length of the fiber bundle is greater than or equal to an average outer diameter of the hollow fibers of the fiber bundle.

27 . The filter probe of claim 25 , wherein the plurality of hollow fibers has a variable alignment along a structured segment of the filter probe.

28 - 30 . (canceled)

31 . A filter probe, comprising:
a fiber bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fibers; and a secondary filter, wherein at least one hollow fiber of the fiber bundle is fluidically connected to the secondary filter.

32 - 60 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Love J Christopher
• Mascarenhas Craig A
• Lu Amos Enshen
• Braatz Richard Dean

Classifications

• C12M47/10

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

• B01D63/04 Primary

  comprising multiple hollow fibre assemblies · CPC title

• B01D69/081 Primary

  characterised by the fibre diameter · CPC title

• C12M29/04

  Filters; Permeable or porous membranes or plates, e.g. dialysis · CPC title

• B01D2319/025

  Permeate series · CPC title