Micro flow filtration system and flow filtration method for a fluid sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9700845-B2
Application number	US-201314386092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2012
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A flow filtration system ( 1 ) for concentration of components contained in a fluid sample comprises a fluid channel ( 2 ) being formed by two conduits ( 4, 5 ) allowing a bidirectional flow of the fluid sample through the fluid channel ( 2 ), a tangential flow filtration module ( 3 ) and at least two pairs ( 8, 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) each having two piston pumps ( 6 ), wherein the piston pumps ( 6 ) having a piston swept volume forming a reservoir being able to contain the fluid for volumes of up to 100 ml. The tangential flow filtration module ( 3 ) is located in the fluid channel ( 2 ) so that a fluid flowing through the channel ( 2 ) passes through the filtration module ( 3 ). At each end ( 10, 11 ) of the channel ( 2 ) one piston pump ( 6 ) of each pair ( 8, 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) is located in such a manner that the piston pumps are fluidically connected in parallel. The system ( 1 ) is arranged and adapted such that during the concentration process at least for a predetermined period of time only one of the pairs ( 8, 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) is used to drive the fluid through the tangential flow filtration module ( 3 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A micro flow filtration system for performing a fluidic process, such as concentrating of components contained in a fluid sample or for exchanging the solvent of the sample fluid, the system ( 1 ) comprising:
a fluid channel ( 2 ) having two ends ( 10 , 11 ) and being formed by conduits ( 4 , 5 ) allowing a bidirectional flow of the fluid sample through the channel ( 2 );
a tangential flow filtration module ( 3 ) (TFF-module) having a first fluid port ( 14 ), a second fluid port ( 15 ), a permeate outlet ( 16 ) and a semipermeable membrane ( 17 ) capable of separating the fluid sample into a retentate stream flowing through one of the ports ( 14 , 15 ) and a permeate stream upon passage of the fluid of the sample through the semipermeable membrane ( 17 ) and through the permeate outlet ( 16 );
at least two pairs ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) having each two piston pumps ( 6 ), each piston pump having a piston swept volume forming a reservoir ( 18 , 19 ) being able to contain a fluid, the piston pumps ( 6 ) being capable to drive a fluid flow;
the volume of the piston pumps ( 6 ) of one pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps ( 8 a , 8 b ) is larger than the volume of the piston pumps ( 6 ) of the other pair ( 9 ) of piston pumps ( 9 a , 9 b ),
a control unit for controlling the piston pumps ( 6 ),

wherein
the TFF-module ( 3 ) is located in the fluid channel ( 2 ) so that one conduit ( 4 ) is connected to the first fluid port ( 14 ) and the other conduit ( 5 ) is connected to the second fluid port ( 15 ) to allow a fluid flowing through the channel ( 2 ) to pass through the TFF-module ( 3 );
at each of the ends ( 10 , 11 ) of the channel ( 2 ) one piston pump ( 6 ) of each pair ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps is arranged in such a manner that the piston pumps 6 are fluidically connected;
the control unit is arranged and adapted to control driving of the piston pumps of each pair ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) synchronously and/or to control the switching and/or the switching time for switching from one pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps ( 8 a , 8 b ) to the other pair ( 9 ) of piston pumps ( 9 a , 9 b ) and
the system is arranged and adapted such that during the fluidic process at least for a period of time only one of the pairs ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) is used to drive the fluid flow through the fluid channel ( 2 ).

2. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the piston pumps ( 6 ) at the end of the fluid channel ( 2 ) are fluidically connected in parallel.

3. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the piston pumps ( 6 ) at the end of the fluid channel ( 2 ) are fluidically connected in series.

4. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 3 , characterized in that the integrated piston pump ( 60 ) comprises an integrated piston ( 65 ) having at least a primary piston ( 63 ) and a secondary piston ( 64 ), wherein the primary piston ( 63 ) and a secondary piston ( 64 ) are able to move synchronously in at least one chamber ( 61 , 62 ).

5. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the volume of the piston pumps ( 6 ) of the first pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps ( 8 a , 8 b ) is at least three times larger than the volume of the piston pumps ( 6 ) of the second pair ( 9 ) of piston pumps ( 9 a , 9 b ).

6. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the system ( 1 ) comprises a balance ( 21 ) for weighting the permeate withdrawn from the TFF-module ( 3 ).

7. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the system ( 1 ) comprises in the fluid channel or in the TFF-module ( 3 ) at least one pressure sensor ( 22 , 23 , 24 ) for monitoring and measuring the pressure in the system ( 1 ).

8. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the system ( 1 ) comprises an optical measuring device ( 26 ) for acquiring the concentration of the components contained in the fluid sample.

9. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit ( 80 ) is adapted to synchronize the stroke of the pistons of the piston pumps ( 6 ) of the same pair ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) such that the piston swept volume of the piston pumps ( 6 ) is synchronously adapted.

10. The micro flow filtration system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit ( 80 ) controls the piston pumps ( 6 ) of one pair ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) in such a manner that the fluid flows back and forth through the TFF-module ( 3 ) from one piston pump ( 6 ) to the other piston pump ( 6 ) of one pair ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ).

11. A flow filtration method for concentrating a component contained in a fluid sample using a tangential flow filtration module ( 3 ), the method comprising the following steps:
providing a micro flow filtration system ( 1 ) comprising
a fluid channel ( 2 ) having two ends ( 10 , 11 ) and being formed by two conduits ( 4 , 5 ) allowing a bidirectional flow of the fluid sample through the channel ( 2 );
a tangential flow filtration module ( 3 ) having a first fluid port ( 14 ), a second fluid port ( 15 ), a permeate outlet ( 16 ) and a semipermeable membrane ( 17 ) capable of separating the fluid sample;
at least two pairs ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ), each piston pump ( 6 ) forming a reservoir ( 18 , 19 ) being able to contain a fluid;
a control unit ( 80 ) for controlling movement of the pistons of the piston pumps ( 6 );

wherein
the TFF-module ( 3 ) is located in the fluid channel ( 2 ) so that one conduit ( 4 ) is connected to the first fluid port ( 14 ) and the other conduit 5 is connected to the second fluid port ( 15 );
at each of the ends ( 10 , 11 ) of the channel ( 2 ) one piston pump ( 6 ) of each pair ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 ) is arranged in such a manner that the piston pumps ( 6 ) are connected fluidically;
the piston pumps ( 6 ) of a first pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps have a larger volume than the piston pumps ( 6 ) of a second pair ( 9 ) of piston pumps ( 6 );
the control unit ( 80 ) is arranged and adapted to control of moving the pistons of the piston pumps of each pair ( 8 , 9 ) of piston pumps synchronously and/or to control the switching and/or the switching time for switching from one pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps ( 8 a , 8 b ) to the other pair ( 9 ) of piston pumps ( 9 a , 9 b ),

filling at least one piston pump ( 6 ) of the first pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps with a fluid;
moving the piston of the first piston pump ( 8 a ) of the first pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps controlled by the control unit ( 80 ) in a first direction to reduce the piston swept volume to drive the fluid sample from the first piston pump ( 8 a ) through the fluid channel ( 2 ) and to pass the TFF-module ( 3 ) thereby increasing the concentration of the components in the fluid sample in the system ( 1 ) and withdrawing an amount of fluid in a permeate stream;
moving the piston of the second piston pump ( 8 b ) of the first pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps controlled by the control unit ( 80 ) in the first direction to enhance the piston swept volume to allow fluid to enter the piston pump ( 8 b ) after passage through the fluid channel ( 2 );
moving the piston of the second piston pump ( 8 b ) and the piston of the first piston pump ( 8 a ) of the first pair ( 8 ) of piston pumps controlled by the control unit ( 80 ) in a second direction opposite to the first direction to drive back the fluid sample from the second piston pump ( 8 b ) through the TFF-m

Assignees

• Hoffmann La Roche

Inventors

• Oranth Norbert
• Losleben Nadine
• Lutz Sascha
• Grossmann Adelbert

Classifications

• B01D63/088

  Microfluidic devices comprising semi-permeable flat membranes · CPC title

• B01D61/145

  Ultrafiltration · CPC title

• B01D2313/243

  Pumps · CPC title

• B01D61/22

  Controlling or regulating · CPC title

• B01D61/18 Primary

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title