Method for dissolving dry powder in container and system for dissolving dry powder

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for dissolving dry powder present in a container, the side wall of the container comprising a plurality of folds distributed along its height, each fold being comprised of two adjacent folds, the plurality of folds being in a folded state in which respective inner walls of each fold of the plurality of folds are at least partially in contact with each other, the method comprises the following steps: a vibration step: continuously vibrating the container; a liquid injection step: injecting liquid into the container, and mixing the liquid with the dry powder in the container to dissolve the dry powder; a first stopping step: stopping the liquid injection step; a second stopping step: stopping vibration; the liquid injection step is started after the vibration step is executed or at the same time, and the second stopping step is executed after the first stopping step is executed. The method may result in reducing the formation of large agglomerates or breaking up agglomerates that have been formed. The invention also provides a system for dissolving dry powder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to dissolving dry powder in a container, and the dissolving of dry powder is used, for example but not limited to, for preparing culture media. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for dissolving dry powder present in a container and a system for dissolving dry powder. Background Art

[0002] A culture medium is a basic substance that supplies nutrients to cells and promotes cell reproduction and proliferation during the process of culturing cells, and is also the living environment for the growth and reproduction of cultured cells. Generally, a culture medium is a gel or liquid containing nutrients. Generally, different types of cells grow in different types of culture media. For example, nutrient broth and agar plates are the most typical microbial growth media. Currently, sterile cell culture media have been widely used in industries such as food, biology, medicine, and chemical engineering.

[0003] Commercially available culture medium products can be prepared from, for example, dry powder. Dry powder is a powdery substance containing nutrients and additives. Dry powder can ensure the stability and long-term preservation of the culture medium. Different types of cells and experiments require the use of different dry powders to make culture media. These dry powders can be converted into liquid culture media through an appropriate reconstitution process to support cell growth and reproduction.

[0004] For example, a typical culture medium preparation process can be divided into the following steps: determining the culture medium formula: according to the needs of cell culture, determine the formula of the culture medium, including the required nutrients, sterile water, pH regulator, and other additives; weighing the dry powder: according to the culture medium formula, weigh the corresponding dry powder according to the given ratio and mass; dissolving the dry powder: add the pre-prepared sterile water to the dry powder or vice versa, and stir evenly when adding to ensure that the dry powder is fully dissolved; pH adjustment: according to the culture medium formula, use an appropriate pH regulator; sieving and sterilization: use, for example, a filter membrane for sieving to remove suspended matter and microorganisms, and perform aseptic treatment on the culture medium.

[0005] To facilitate the transportation of dry powder and the mixing of dry powder with a liquid, such as sterile water, it is known that the dry powder can be stored in a container, and then the liquid is fed into the container for mixing. The mixed solution after the dry powder is dissolved can continue to be held in the container or taken out of the container for further preparation of the culture medium.

[0006] During the process of mixing dry powder and liquid, a large amount of lumps or chunks are usually generated, resulting in a part of the nutrients in the final solution being filtered out in the subsequent sieving step. This will adversely affect the desired formula (or inclusion ratio) of the culture medium, and thus affect the experimental results of cell culture.

[0007] Currently, it is known that it can be shaken evenly by the operator shaking it by hand, or the purpose of fully dissolving the dry powder can be achieved by directly stirring the mixed solution in the container. However, these methods either have high requirements for the operator and consume a large amount of physical strength, or take a long time, such as up to two or three hours, and cannot ensure uniform mixing without lumps or chunks. In addition, if you want to specifically break up lumps or chunks, an additional mechanism is required for operation, which will also significantly increase the cost and preparation time of the system.

[0008] Therefore, in the experimental process of industries such as food, biology, medicine, and chemical engineering, especially in the process of preparing culture media, there is always a need for a method that can quickly dissolve dry powder while ensuring that the resulting solution has no lumps. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention provides a method for dissolving dry powder present in a container, the side wall of the container including a plurality of folds distributed along its height, each fold being formed by two adjacent folding portions, the plurality of folds being in a folded state, in which state, the corresponding inner walls of the folding portions of the plurality of folds at least partially contact each other, wherein the method includes: a vibration step: continuously vibrating the container; a liquid injection step: injecting a liquid into the container to mix the liquid with the dry powder therein to dissolve the dry powder, wherein at least a part of the folding portions of at least a part of the plurality of folds move away from their corresponding other folding portions, so that at least a part of the folds unfold from the folded state; a first stop step: stopping the liquid injection step; a second stop step: stopping the vibration step; wherein the liquid injection step is started after or simultaneously with the execution of the vibration step, and the second stop step is executed after the execution of the first stop step.

[0010] By the above method of the present invention, the container is continuously vibrated at the latest when the liquid injection starts, at which time the folds have not unfolded or have unfolded very little. On the one hand, the dry powder can be more loose when it touches the folds through vibration, which is beneficial to preventing the formation of lumps. On the other hand, the already formed lumps can also touch the folds and be broken or dispersed. In addition, since the internal space of the container is small at this time, the movement distance of the dry powder or lumps is small, and the frequency of touching the plurality of folds is higher. Therefore, the efficiency of reducing the formation of lumps during vibration is very high.

[0011] Preferably, the method may include: when the liquid injection step is executed such that the volume of the liquid injected into the container reaches one-half to three-quarters of the volume of the container when fully unfolded, the first stop step is executed.

[0012] By allowing only a part of the plurality of folds of the container to unfold (i.e., there is still a part that has not unfolded), the unfurled folds can be used to further break up the fine lumps formed in the solution to obtain a more uniformly mixed solution.

[0013] Preferably, the method may also include: performing a first stop step after a first time period of the liquid injection step, and performing a second stop step after a second time period of the first stop step, wherein the second time period is one to three times the first time period.

[0014] By maintaining vibration after liquid injection and controlling the proportion of the time of the liquid injection process in the entire dissolution time, the liquid injection speed can be controlled so as to achieve a good balance between ensuring that the speed is not too large resulting in too fast unfolding of the folds and ensuring that the speed is not too small thus affecting the experimental efficiency and cost. If the folds unfold too fast, on the one hand, the narrow space in the container cannot be used to squeeze the agglomerates, and on the other hand, the formed agglomerates have no chance to hit the folds to break, or the solid dry powder meets water before being agitated by the folds, easily forming large agglomerates.

[0015] In addition, the vibration step may include: vibrating the container up and down at a vibration frequency of 11 - 15 Hz.

[0016] By vibrating up and down, the dry powder and the solution can be better mixed. The vibration frequency of 11 - 15 Hz can minimize caking as much as possible while reducing the risk of oxidizing the culture medium due to a large number of bubbles generated during the dissolution process.

[0017] Optionally, a plurality of folds may respectively extend circumferentially around the entire circumference of the container.

[0018] When a plurality of folds all extend around the entire circumference, the solution can hit the multiple folds on the side wall from various positions circumferentially, thereby improving the efficiency and effect of breaking and dissolving the agglomerates. In addition, the entire container can also be completely folded to the minimum volume by using these folds, which is convenient for transportation, storage, and disinfection.

[0019] Advantageously, a plurality of folds may be evenly distributed along the height of the side wall of the container. The evenly distributed folds are beneficial to the control of the entire dissolution process. For example, the unfolding time of each fold is basically the same (when the liquid injection speed remains unchanged). In addition, the evenly distributed folds also result in a stable and compact structure of the container in the folded state.

[0020] Specifically, each folded portion of the plurality of folds may have a width of about 30 mm. This width can ensure that the agglomerates formed in the solution are better broken when hitting the folds.

[0021] In particular, the container may be cylindrical, and its side wall may be composed only of a plurality of folds, and the plurality of folds extend substantially parallel to each other.

[0022] The container with a circular cross-section can ensure that there are no dead corners where agglomerates are easily formed; the entire side wall being folds can obtain the most compact volume in the folded state; and the folds extending parallel to each other can obtain a stable structure and an expected agglomerate breaking effect.

[0023] Advantageously, when the first stopping step is performed, the included angle between the folded portions of at least one-third of the folds located at the upper part of the side wall of the container among the plurality of folds may be less than 10°.

[0024] Leaving one-third of the folds not fully unfolded can further break up small agglomerates during the continuous vibration process to achieve the best dissolution effect.

[0025] For example, the folds can be made of high-density polyethylene. With this material, the container can be conveniently folded, and as the liquid is injected, the folds will unfold by themselves and remain fully unfolded.

[0026] In addition, the present invention also provides a system for dissolving dry powder, which may include: a container storing dry powder, the container including: a side wall including a plurality of folds distributed along its height, each fold being composed of two adjacent folded portions, the plurality of folds being in a folded state, in which the corresponding inner walls of the folded portions of the plurality of folds at least partially contact each other, wherein when liquid is injected into the container, the folded portions of at least a part of the plurality of folds move away from their corresponding other folded portions so that at least a part of the folds unfold from the folded state; a liquid injection port through which the liquid can be injected into the container to be mixed with the dry powder therein to dissolve the dry powder; a vibration device installed at the bottom of the container for continuously vibrating the container; a control device configured to start the vibration device before or while liquid is injected into the container and to deactivate the vibration device after stopping injecting liquid into the container.

[0027] Through the above system of the present invention, it can be realized that the container is continuously vibrating when the liquid injection starts, at this time the folds have not unfolded or have unfolded very little, which is beneficial to preventing or at least reducing the formation of agglomerates, or the already formed agglomerates can also hit the folds and be broken or dispersed. In addition, since the internal space of the container is small at this time, the movement distance of the dry powder or agglomerates is small, and the frequency of hitting the plurality of folds is higher, so the efficiency of reducing the formation of agglomerates during vibration is very high.

[0028] Preferably, the container may include a top surface, and the liquid injection port may be provided at the top surface.

[0029] With the liquid injection port provided on the top surface, it will not cause the liquid to flow onto the side wall having a plurality of folds, thereby reducing its flow rate (or liquid injection efficiency) or unnecessarily flushing the dry powder on the side wall.

[0030] Advantageously, the system may further include: a filter installed on the pipeline fluidly connected to the liquid injection port for filtering the liquid injected into the container.

[0031] The filter can filter substances in the liquid down to the sub-micron level. Therefore, sterile liquid injected into the container, such as sterile deionized water, can pass through this filter to ensure its sterility.

[0032] In particular, the system may further include: a switching valve that can be configured to be selectively in fluid communication with the liquid injection port; wherein, the control device can be configured to control the switching valve to change between a first position that allows liquid to flow into the liquid injection port and a second position that blocks the liquid from flowing into the liquid injection port.

[0033] With the help of the switching valve, the fluid pump can be kept running continuously, reducing damage caused by continuous start and stop, and having higher control precision, which is convenient for accurately quantifying the amount of liquid flowing into the container. Description of the Drawings

[0034] Figure 1 Schematically showing a system for dissolving dry powder according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein multiple folds of the container storing the dry powder are in a folded state;

[0035] Figure 2 Schematically showing according to Figure 1 a perspective view of the container of the system;

[0036] Figure 3 Schematically showing according to Figure 1 a side view of the container of the system;

[0037] Figure 4 Schematically showing a system for dissolving dry powder according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein at least some of the multiple folds of the container storing the dry powder are unfolded from the folded state;

[0038] Figure 5 Schematically showing according to Figure 4 a perspective view of the container of the system;

[0039] Figure 6 Schematically showing according to Figure 4 a side view of the container of the system.

[0040] List of Reference Numerals:

[0041] 100 System;

[0042] 110 Container;

[0043] 112 Liquid Injection Port;

[0044] 114 Handle;

[0045] 116 Fold;

[0046] 116a, 116b Folding Part;

[0047] 116c folding line;

[0048] 120 vibration platform;

[0049] 130 filter;

[0050] 140 switching valve;

[0051] 150 fluid pipeline;

[0052] 160 fluid pump;

[0053] 200 liquid storage device. Detailed implementation mode

[0054] The present invention relates to the dissolution of dry powder, generally referring to achieving this dissolution by injecting liquid into the dry powder for mixing. In some specific cases, the dry powder itself may be concentrated from substances containing nutrients and additives, and in this case, this process can also be called the reconstitution or reconstruction of the dry powder. The solution after the dissolution of the dry powder can be used, for example, to prepare cell culture media or other biological and chemical substances. For this purpose, the dry powder is preferably sterile.

[0055] In the present invention, the dry powder is present in a container. In particular, the dry powder is pre-stored in the container before the start of the dissolution process, rather than added during the start of the dissolution. When the dry powder is pre-stored in the container, it is convenient for the transportation, storage, disinfection, etc. of the dry powder, but this is not necessary.

[0056] In addition, in the present invention, the composition of the liquid added to the dry powder is not limited, but sterile water, buffered peptone water, etc. can be used to prepare the culture medium. The liquid is usually at room temperature when added, but it can also be injected at a suitable temperature according to the needs of subsequent preparation, but this is not the focus of the present invention.

[0057] In the present invention, the term "container" refers to a vessel capable of accommodating at least liquid, and its form is not limited. For example, it can include tanks, boxes, barrels, vats, etc. Depending on specific requirements, the container can be completely closed or incompletely closed, such as being in communication with the atmosphere. However, the container of the present invention is preferably made of a soft or flexible material at least for its side walls.

[0058] In the present invention, the term "between..." refers to the positioning of a device or component in a flow path. In addition, the terms "upstream / downstream of..." also refer to the flow direction of the fluid. "Upstream of..." means before it along the flow direction, and "downstream of..." means after it along the flow direction.

[0059] Finally, in the present invention, the expressions "first" and "second" only indicate differences between steps or components, and do not represent priority or importance, nor do they imply the sequence of steps.

[0060] The present invention relates to a system 100 for dissolving dry powder. As described above, the dry powder is present in, and preferably stored in, a container 110. Thus, first, the system 100 should include at least one container 110. Here, the shape of the container 110 is not limited, but is preferably cylindrical, particularly a circular cylinder. The container 110 includes a top surface (or top), a side wall, and a bottom surface (or bottom). Generally, the height of the container 110 is defined by its side wall.

[0061] The side wall of the container 110 includes a plurality of pleats 116 distributed along its height. In a preferred embodiment, the side wall of the container 110 consists only of a plurality of pleats 116, that is, there is no side wall portion other than the pleats 116, and there is no other side wall portion between the plurality of pleats 116 (except for the transition region between the plurality of pleats). Here, "distributed along the height of the container" means that each pleat does not extend along the height, but each pleat occupies a different height. Generally, the plurality of pleats all extend circumferentially, preferably (folding lines 116c) extend parallel to each other, and more preferably (folding lines 116c) all extend horizontally (see Figure 3 or Figure 6 ). Preferably, the plurality of pleats 116 respectively extend circumferentially around the entire circumference of the container 110. In this case, the folding lines 116c are circumferentially surrounded, and the folded portions of the pleats 116 can be folded in the entire circumference, so that the initial volume of the container 110 can be minimized. However, it can be understood that the pleats 116 (or the folding lines 116c) only extend along a part of the circumference of the container 110 (that is, a part of the side wall does not include pleats), particularly greater than 300° is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0062] In the present invention, it is defined that each pleat is composed of two adjacent folded portions, and each pleat can change between a folded state and an unfolded state. Therefore, the pleats 116 of the present invention can also be called "bellows-like pleats". Since the degree of folding or unfolding of the pleats 116 can be changed, the two folded portions 116a, 116b (or the two folded portions associated with or corresponding to the pleat 116) forming the pleat 116 are also connected to each other, that is, connected at the folding line 116c. Seen from the cross-section, the two folded portions 116a, 116b are the two sides forming a pleat 116, for example, see Figure 6 . In addition, "a plurality of pleats" means more than one pleat, preferably at least three pleats, such as 10, 12, 15 pleats.

[0063] In the present invention, when the pleats 116 are in a folded state, the corresponding inner walls of the respective folded portions of the plurality of pleats 116 at least partially contact each other. Each folded portion includes an inner wall facing the interior of the container 110 and an outer wall facing the exterior. Here, the expression "at least partially contact" means that the inner walls of two folded portions of the pleat 116 contact or abut against each other, but it is not necessary to have contact in the entire circumferential direction when viewed circumferentially. However, it should be understood that generally, the proportion of the portions of the inner walls of the folded portions that contact each other should not be too small, because it cannot be excluded that due to manufacturing errors, usage environments, the composition of the solution itself, etc., the folded portions stick together at one or several discrete sites and cannot be separated, that is, they always remain in a contact state. When the proportion of the contacting portions is too small, it is generally also included in the "at least partially contact" in the context of the present invention. Although Figure 3 The side view of the container 110 having a plurality of pleats 116 in a folded state shown in

[0064] depicts the two folded portions 116a, 116b of each pleat 116 as two parallel lines, but this is only for the convenience of showing that each pleat 116 has two folded portions 116a, 116b (otherwise they overlap and it is not clear to see the two folded portions), rather than indicating that the two folded portions are parallel to each other.

[0065] Furthermore, when the pleats 116 are in a folded state, the corresponding outer walls of the two folded portions 116a, 116b of the pleat 116 may also at least partially contact the exterior of the adjacent folded portions of the (upper and lower) adjacent pleats 116, but this is not necessary, for example, they may be substantially parallel but have a certain gap.

[0066] As described above, in order to dissolve the dry powder, it is necessary to inject a liquid, especially sterile water, buffered peptone water, etc. into the container 110. Therefore, the container 110 should be provided with a liquid injection port 112 so that the liquid can be injected into the container 110 via the liquid injection port 112 to be mixed with the dry powder. Preferably, the liquid injection port 112 is located at the top of the container 110, especially on the top surface, for example, see Figure 2 or Figure 5This is because the liquid injection port 112 disposed on the top surface will not cause the liquid to flow into the side wall having the plurality of folds 116 and reduce its flow rate (or liquid injection efficiency) or unnecessarily flush the dry powder on the side wall.

[0067] According to the present invention, when liquid is injected into the container 110, the folded portion of at least a portion of the plurality of folds 116 moves away from another corresponding folded portion thereof, so that the at least a portion of the folds 116 unfolds from the aforementioned folded state. Here, "moving away from each other" means that the two folded portions 116a, 116b of the folds 116 involved move away from each other around the folding line 116c. Here, the "folding line" is not necessarily strictly a line, but may be a folded connection portion that occupies a portion of the area (or has a small height when viewed from the side). However, it should be noted that even if the "folding line" may have a small height when viewed from the side, this does not affect the plurality of folds 116 at least partially contacting or abutting against each other in the folded state, because the material of the folds 116 is flexible, soft or elastic.

[0068] Seen from the inside of the container 110, the two folded portions 116a, 116b move away from each other, so that a space is generated inside the two folded portions 116a, 116b (the inner walls are away from each other), rather than substantially providing no space as in the folded state of the pleats 116. In a preferred embodiment, only a portion of the pleats 116 among the plurality of pleats 116 are unfolded from the folded state, that is, not all of the pleats 116 are unfolded (the specific reason is explained below).

[0069] The container 110 of the present invention comprises a soft or flexible material. Specifically, at least the side wall of the container 110, in particular, the folds 116 thereof, are made of a soft, flexible or elastic material. For example, such a material is high-density polyethylene or a material having similar or equivalent physical and chemical properties. Such a material allows the plurality of folds 116 to be gradually unfolded as the liquid level continues to rise after the liquid is injected. In other words, since the material is flexible or soft, the liquid will "open" the folds 116 on the side wall, thereby forcing the two folds 116a, 116b of the folds 116 to move away from each other (i.e., the angle increases), so that the liquid can enter the space between the two folds 116a, 116b. Preferably, the corresponding folds of the folds 116 can be unfolded to 45°-60° (the total amount of liquid injected is controlled so that the angle is no longer further increased). Normally, the folds 116 will only unfold to the point where the angle between the folds is as large as nearly 180° when the amount of liquid injected into the container 110 significantly exceeds its expected volume.

[0070] As the liquid is injected, the wrinkles 116 located at the bottom of the container 110 (side wall) may generally unfold earlier. However, since the dry powder is generally located at the bottom of the container 110, in the case of a small amount of liquid injection, it may be that a wrinkle 116 that is not at the very bottom unfolds first because the bottom is still covered with dry powder. However, it can be understood that as more liquid is injected, generally the lower wrinkles 116 unfold first and the upper wrinkles 116 unfold later. In other words, the unfolding generally starts from the bottom, and then as the liquid is added, the upper wrinkles unfold in sequence. In addition, during the process of injecting the liquid, the wrinkles 116 will not unfold from the folded state because the liquid or the solution mixed with the dry powder splashes or spills onto the wrinkles 116, but only the wrinkles 116 at or near the position of the liquid level will unfold.

[0071] Advantageously, the plurality of wrinkles 116 are evenly distributed along the height of the side wall of the container 110. Here, the expression "evenly distributed" means that the widths of the corresponding folded portions of each of the wrinkles 116 are substantially the same, or that the folding lines 116c formed by the corresponding folded portions of the plurality of wrinkles 116 are evenly spaced from each other. Preferably, each folded portion of the plurality of wrinkles 116 has a width of about 20 - 40 mm, particularly 30 mm. If viewed from the side in the folded state, the "width" refers to the length of each side forming the wrinkle 116, or the distance from the folding line 116c to the end of the folded portion opposite to the folding line 116c.

[0072] The system 100 of the present invention further includes a vibration device (or excitation device) for vibrating the container 110, particularly continuously vibrating. Here, the expression "continuous vibration" means that the preset vibration mode of the vibration device is continuous vibration, but it does not exclude that it can be stopped working at a desired moment through a control device or manually. This expression emphasizes that the container 110 can be kept vibrating if needed, rather than being unable to ensure continuous vibration.

[0073] The container 110 can be mounted on the vibration device so that the vibration device continuously vibrates it from the bottom of the container 110, but this is not necessary. For example, the vibration device can vibrate from other parts such as the side or top of the container 110. However, it is preferred that the vibration device does not directly act on the wrinkles 116 on the side wall. The connection between the container 110 and the vibration device is carried out by known means in the art and will not be elaborated here. In some embodiments, the vibration device can be in the form of a vibration table or a vibration rack (or as part of the vibration table rack 120, for example, installed inside the housing of the vibration table rack 120), and the container 110 can be fixedly mounted thereon.

[0074] In the present invention, the vibration of the container 110 is preferably carried out along its height direction. If the container 110 is placed vertically, the vibration is usually in the up-and-down direction. In some embodiments, the vibration device can be driven by a motor, particularly a DC motor, with a rotational speed up to 2400 revolutions per minute. With the aid of a suitable intermediate transmission mechanism (such as a reduction mechanism, a motion conversion mechanism, etc., which will not be elaborated here), the vibration device preferably can vibrate the container 110, particularly in the up-and-down direction, at a vibration frequency of 11 - 15 Hz (equivalent to 700 - 900 revolutions per minute). Since some types of powders will cause the release of gas after dissolution, if the vibration frequency is too high, although the dissolution efficiency may be higher, it will cause the generation of a large number of bubbles or foams, which is disadvantageous to the finally obtained mixed solution. Therefore, a vibration frequency of 11 - 15 Hz has been proven to be optimal, and this frequency helps to reduce the generation of lumps and at the same time reduce the risk of oxidizing the culture medium due to the generation of a large number of bubbles during the dissolution process. It should be noted that in the present invention, the displacement caused by vibration is not necessarily the same for different sites of the entire container 110 because the material of the container 110 can include flexible or elastic materials.

[0075] To dissolve the dry powder in the container 110, the present invention relates to the following method steps. First, the method of the present invention includes a vibration step for continuously vibrating the container 110. As described above, generally the vibration step is completed by a vibration device, but its specific form is not limited, its location is not limited, and its acting mode is not limited, although it is preferred to perform continuous up-and-down vibration on the container 110 from its bottom. It should be noted that in the present invention, multiple pleats generally do not fully unfold due to vibration, and if there is a minimal or slight degree of unfolding, it is not counted as the unfolding of the pleats discussed in the present invention. In the present invention, the pleats basically unfold only due to liquid injection (specific details are described below).

[0076] Secondly, the method of the present invention further includes a liquid injection step: injecting liquid into the container 110 to mix the liquid with the dry powder therein to dissolve the dry powder. During the injection of the liquid, at least a part of the folded portions of at least some of the multiple pleats 116 move away from their corresponding other folded portions, so that at least some of the pleats 116 unfold from the aforementioned folded state.

[0077] In addition, the method of the present invention further includes a first stop step for stopping the liquid injection step and a second stop step for stopping the vibration step. It should be noted that this also means that in the present invention, if the first stop step is not executed, the liquid injection step will continue, and if the second stop step is not executed, the vibration step will also continue (i.e., the container 110 remains continuously vibrated). Therefore, the first stop step must be executed after the liquid injection step, and the second stop step must be executed after the vibration step, otherwise it is technically meaningless.

[0078] According to the present invention, the liquid injection step is started after or at the latest simultaneously with the execution of the vibration step. As described above, during the process of injecting liquid into the container 110, the liquid will encounter the dry powder in the container 110 and mix with it, thereby dissolving it. When the amount of liquid is still small (i.e., at the beginning of liquid injection), when the liquid encounters the dry powder (especially the less loose dry powder), the dry powder will form lumps.

[0079] The inventor creatively realized that such lumps cannot be simply eliminated or broken by vibrating the container 110. When starting to inject liquid into the container 110, since the wrinkles 116 on the side wall have not been fully unfolded (may not be completely in the folded state due to vibration, but the angle between each folded part of each wrinkle 116 is still very small, for example, less than 10°), the container 110 still maintains a compact volume.

[0080] Specifically, when the space in the container 110 is basically occupied by the dry powder, vibrating the container 110 will make the lumps formed due to the liquid encountering the dry powder easier to be dispersed, broken, shattered or dissipated. In addition, when multiple wrinkles 116 have not been (fully) unfolded, the collision between the formed lumps and a larger number of wrinkles 116 can be increased, thereby breaking the formed lumps. In addition, if the dry powder (i.e., solid powder) can encounter the wrinkles 116 on the side wall through vibration before encountering the liquid for dissolution, the dry powder itself can also be looser instead of aggregating together, which can help prevent the formation of large lumps.

[0081] In contrast, if the container 110 is not vibrated at the beginning of liquid injection, even if the container 110 is continuously vibrated subsequently as the amount of liquid flowing into the container 110 increases, the large lumps formed (especially initially) cannot be easily dispersed, broken, shattered or dissipated, because the injection of liquid causes at least some of the multiple wrinkles 116 of the container 110 to gradually unfold, the space becomes larger, and the lumps cannot be effectively squeezed.

[0082] In addition, in the method of the present invention, the vibration is started before or at the latest simultaneously with the start of liquid injection. The vibration stops after the liquid injection is stopped (i.e., the first stop step is executed), that is, the second stop step is executed after the first stop step, in order to maintain continuous vibration of the container 110 after reaching a predetermined solution volume in the container 110, so as to make the dry powder and the liquid mix more evenly.

[0083] The time interval between performing the liquid injection step (earlier) and the first stop step (later) can be defined as the first time period, and the time interval between performing the first stop step (earlier) and the second stop step (later) can be defined as the second time period. In a preferred embodiment, the second time period can be 1 time (i.e., equal duration) to 3 times that of the first time period, so as to keep the agglomerated or lumpy substances in the solution that has reached the predetermined volume fully dispersed, broken, shattered or dissipated through vibration for a longer time. In a specific embodiment, the liquid injection time is about 3 - 6 minutes, and vibration is maintained for 5 - 10 minutes after stopping the liquid injection, so that the dry powder is fully dissolved. Here, the expression "fully dissolved" means that there are no visible agglomerated or lumpy substances in the solution. That is to say, starting from the liquid injection, the total time for the full dissolution of the entire dry powder (for example, for a total liquid injection volume of 10 liters, 10 - 15 minutes) is the sum of the first time period and the second time period, during which continuous vibration is maintained all the time, and the total vibration time of the container 110 should be greater than or equal to the above full dissolution time.

[0084] Furthermore, the liquid injection speed Q is a key parameter because the magnitude of the water injection speed Q determines the unfolding time of at least some of the multiple pleats 116 of the container 110. If the speed is too high, resulting in too fast unfolding, on the one hand, the narrow space inside the container 110 cannot be utilized to squeeze the agglomerates, and on the other hand, the formed agglomerates have no chance to hit the pleats 116 to break, or the solid dry powder meets the water before being agitated by the pleats 116, easily forming large agglomerates. In the experiment, the diameter of the large agglomerates can even reach 5 - 10 centimeters. Although a small water injection speed Q is beneficial to reducing agglomerates, if the speed is too small, it will also prolong the total dissolution time of the entire dry powder (completely), and the economic benefit will be significantly reduced.

[0085] The liquid injection rate Q is equal to the quotient of the solution volume and the liquid injection time. Herein, the term "solution volume" refers to the total volume of the solution after the dry powder is dissolved. In some cases, after the vibration ends, there will still be a layer of gas on the surface of the solution because some types of powders release gas after dissolution, but the gas volume is generally not (fully) included in the solution volume. Generally, in order to prepare the culture medium, the solution volume is pre-determined, for example, 10 liters (at this time, the preferably fully expanded volume of the container 110 is 15 liters, but not limited thereto). In some embodiments, the time required to complete the entire dissolution process, that is, the time (calculated from the start of liquid injection) that can fully dissolve the dry powder present in the container 110, is also determined, for example, 10 - 15 minutes. Since it is necessary to ensure a certain liquid injection rate, the present invention preferably can select the ratio between the first time period and the second time period, or rather, the proportion of the first time period in the entire full dissolution time. As described above, the first time period can account for one-fourth to one-half of the entire full dissolution time. In a specific embodiment, a total of 3 - 8 liters of liquid is added to the container 110 at a liquid injection rate of 0.5 - 2 liters per minute.

[0086] Although as described above, the execution of the first stop step can be a predetermined time since the start of the liquid injection step, that is, the aforementioned first time period is preset, for example, 3 - 6 minutes. However, in some other embodiments, the execution of the first stop step depends on the volume of the liquid injected into the container 110, or rather, the amount of the liquid. For example, when the liquid injection step is executed such that the volume of the liquid injected into the container 110 reaches one-half to three-fourths, preferably two-thirds, of the volume when the container 110 is fully expanded, the first stop step is executed.

[0087] Herein, the expression "volume when the container is fully expanded" refers to the volume of the container when a plurality of pleats 116 of the container are fully expanded, and "(full) expansion of the (pleats)" means that when the solution reaches the position of or near the corresponding pleats, the pleats are expanded to a certain extent, or rather, the included angle between each folded portion increases to a certain extent, and it will not further expand due to continued liquid injection (unless a liquid amount significantly exceeding its expected volume is injected into the container). Preferably, when the pleats 116 are fully expanded, the included angle between each folded portion is 45° to 60°.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, when the first stop step is executed (i.e., when the liquid injection stops), the included angle between each folded portion of at least one-fourth, particularly one-third, of the pleats 116 located at the upper part of the side wall of the container 110 among the plurality of pleats 116 is less than 10°. Herein, it is not mentioned that these pleats 116 are in a folded state because it does not exclude that due to the continuous vibration of the container 110, these pleats 116 located at the upper part have a slight degree of expansion. However, it can be understood that this slight degree of expansion is a completely different concept from the (full) expansion of the pleats 116 discussed above, and is usually at least less than 30°.

[0089] Particularly, when the side wall of the container 110 is only composed of a plurality of pleats 116, the first stop step, i.e., stopping the liquid injection, can also be simply performed when half to three - quarters, preferably two - thirds of the number of pleats 116 among the plurality of pleats 116 are (fully) unfolded. For example, in the case where the side wall is composed of 15 pleats 116, when 8 - 12, especially 10 pleats 116 are unfolded, the first stop step is performed. It can be understood that the non - (fully) unfolded pleats 116 are usually located in the upper part of the container 110, rather than the lower part, unless there are very few pleats 116 with certain manufacturing errors or unable to be unfolded due to environmental limitations.

[0090] The advantage of injecting liquid only to make only a part, rather than all of the pleats 116 among the plurality of pleats 116 unfold is that during the dissolution process, the non - (fully) unfolded pleats 116, which are usually located above, can contribute to the breaking of lumps or masses, effectively preventing caking and making the mixing of the dry powder and the liquid more uniform. More specifically, since the pleats 116 still exist during the continuous vibration process after the liquid injection stops, the solution will hit the pleats 116 (for example, on the inner wall of the folded part) when vibrating. This impact can, on the one hand, break small lumps, and on the other hand, also contribute to the formation of irregular eddies, thereby making the mixing more thorough.

[0091] To facilitate the control of the system 100 for dissolving the dry powder, the present invention preferably includes a control device. The control device can start or stop the vibration device independently or under the intervention of an operator, allow or prevent the liquid from flowing into the container 110, start or stop the equipment in other systems (such as filters, fluid pumps, etc. to be described below), etc.

[0092] In particular, the control device is configured to start the vibration device described above before the liquid is injected into the container 110 or (at the latest) simultaneously with the injection of the liquid, and to stop the vibration device after stopping the liquid injection into the container 110. For example, the control device can actuate the motor of the vibration device to make it start working or stop working. The technical principle of such operation has been described in detail above, and the implementation manner of the specific mechanical structure will not be described here.

[0093] The system 100 of the present invention can also include a fluid pipeline 150 for feeding the liquid into the container 110 (for example, via the liquid injection port 112 described above). The system 100 can include or not include a liquid storage device 200, such as a sterile water container, that is, the liquid storage device can belong to, but can also not belong to, a part of the system 100 for dissolving the dry powder. However, in any case, the liquid from the liquid storage device can flow into the container 110 via the above - mentioned fluid pipeline 150.

[0094] In addition, the container 110 may also be provided with a handle 114 for gripping. With the help of this handle 114, it is easier to transfer the container 110 to subsequent experimental equipment, such as a dispenser, after the dry powder is dissolved.

[0095] The fluid pipeline 150 of the present invention is preferably made of a flexible material, such as silica gel, and thus can allow a certain degree of stretching. In particular, the fluid pipeline 150 can stretch as at least some of the multiple folds of the container unfold, for example, for comparison Figure 1 and Figure 4 .

[0096] See Figure 1 , at least one filter 130 can also be installed on the fluid pipeline 150 for filtering the liquid injected into the container 110. The filter 130 can filter substances in the liquid up to the sub-micron level (for example, greater than 0.2 microns or smaller). Therefore, sterile liquid injected into the container 110, such as sterile deionized water, can pass through this filter 130 to ensure its sterility. Here, the standard of sterility should refer to relevant experimental requirements and will not be elaborated here.

[0097] In addition, the system 100 of the present invention may also include a fluid pump 160 for pumping liquid into the container 110. For example, this fluid pump can be a peristaltic pump. In particular, the fluid pump 160 can also be used to adjust the flow rate of the liquid flowing into the container 110. Additionally, the system 100 may also include a switching valve 140, preferably arranged near the liquid injection port 112. For controlling whether the liquid flows into the container 110, the method of the present invention can adopt at least one of the following methods: the control device can be configured to control the switching valve 140 to change between a first position allowing the liquid to flow into the liquid injection port 112 and a second position blocking the liquid from flowing into the liquid injection port 112; the control device can be configured to control the fluid pump 160 to start the fluid pump 160 when liquid inflow is required and stop the fluid pump 160 when liquid inflow is not required. The former scheme is preferred because the fluid pump 160 can be kept running continuously, reducing damage caused by continuous starting and stopping, and having higher control precision, which is convenient for accurately quantifying the amount of liquid flowing into the container 110 (without the need for an expensive high-precision fluid pump). Here, the switching valve 140 should be configured to be selectively fluidly connected to the liquid injection port 112 and arranged on the aforementioned fluid pipeline 150, for example, downstream of the filter 130 and upstream of the container 110 when viewed along the flow direction.

[0098] In theory, the foldable container of the present invention can be repeatedly folded multiple times, that is, after the solution is discharged when it is unfolded, it can be restored to the folded state of the wrinkles 116. For example, the number of folding times can be no more than two without significantly affecting the unfolding performance of the wrinkles. During the process of folding it up again, it is preferably also possible to use a vacuum device to make the container 110 return to the minimum or smaller volume, but this is not necessary, and it is also possible to fold the wrinkles 116 separately by pressing them in other ways (for example, returning to the folded state where the included angle of each folded part is less than 10°, or even the inner walls are at least partially in contact with each other).

[0099] Generally speaking, the container 110 of the present invention includes a plurality of wrinkles 116 on its side walls. Due to its variable volume characteristic, it can be in a compressed state during transportation and storage, and gradually expand after injecting liquid. On the one hand, it provides sufficient solution accommodation space, and on the other hand, it can use the narrow volume of the container 110 and the plurality of folded wrinkles 116 in the folded state to more easily break large agglomerates in the early stage of mixing. In particular, the plurality of wrinkles 116 of the present invention can contribute to the fragmentation of the powder during the dissolution of the dry powder, prevent caking or agglomeration, and make the mixing more sufficient.

[0100] Next, with the help of Figure 1-6 the following embodiments shown, the method steps and the system 100 of the present invention will be exemplified and explained.

[0101] Figure 1 and Figure 4 respectively show perspective views of the system 100 for dissolving dry powder. As mentioned before, the liquid storage device 200 may not be counted as a part of the system 100, but it is also shown in Figure 1 and Figure 4 In the figure, a vibration table 120 is also shown. The vibration table 120 includes a vibration device arranged inside the housing, and may also include other auxiliary devices. The vibration device can be implemented to be driven by a motor and then transmitted via a belt for speed reduction. The vibration device generally includes a surface, especially the upper surface, adapted to be mounted (i.e., fixedly connected) to the bottom of the container 110. In addition, a control device (not shown) can also be installed inside the housing of the vibration table 120, but it can also be provided separately outside the vibration table 120.

[0102] The fluid pipeline 150 is connected from the liquid storage device 200 to the liquid injection port 112 of the container 110. However, it should be understood that the fluid pipeline 150 can be divided into multiple segments. For example, there is a separate segment of the fluid pipeline from the filter 130 to the liquid injection port 112. A switching valve 140 is provided at a position close to the liquid injection port 112, which can control whether to allow the liquid to be injected into the container 110. To actuate the switching valve 140, an actuation mechanism or manual actuation can be used.

[0103] In a specific embodiment, 2 kg of BPW (Buffered Peptone Water) and 8 kg of sterile water are added into container 110 for dissolving the dry powder. In another specific embodiment, 1 kg of HF (Half Fraser, a selective broth for Listeria) and 3 kg of sterile water are added into container 110.

[0104] Figure 2-3 Container 110 is respectively shown with a plurality of pleats 116 (all pleats 116 in this embodiment) in a folded state. It can be seen that the entire container 110 is in its initial state of minimum volume. The container 110 in this initial state is installed on the vibration bench 120, as Figure 1 shown in. It is Figure 2-3 clearly visible that the side wall is only composed of a plurality of pleats 116, and all these pleats 116 are completely folded, that is, the included angle between the two folded parts 116a and 116b of each pleat 116 is approximately 0°, at least not greater than 10°.

[0105] Before or simultaneously with the start of liquid injection, the vibration device is actuated first (preferably controlled via a control device) to vibrate container 110, especially from the bottom. The vibration is preferably a vibration in the vertical direction, more preferably a vibration from the entire bottom, so as to avoid unstable vibration caused by eccentric vibration force. After the vibration starts, there may be a situation where some of the plurality of pleats 116 are no longer in a folded state, but will not reach a fully unfolded state, only loosening slightly.

[0106] After or simultaneously with the start of the vibration of the vibration device, liquid starts to be injected into container 110 (for example, controlled by a switching valve 140). Since continuous vibration of container 110 is maintained at the beginning stage of liquid injection, basically no large lumps are formed. As the liquid is injected, at least a part of the plurality of pleats 116 starts to gradually unfold from the folded state.

[0107] As Figure 4-6 shown in, at least 7 out of a plurality of (for example, 15) pleats 116 are fully unfolded, that is, the included angle between the corresponding folded parts of the pleats 116 reaches 45 - 60°, but there are still some pleats 116 (the plurality of upper pleats 116) in a folded state or not reaching the fully unfolded state (for example, in a transitional state between the two, for example, the included angle between the folded parts is 30°).

[0108] As described above, since the mixture of dry powder and liquid (or the solution mixed with dry powder) will continuously collide with the upper pleats 116 when container 110 vibrates, the unfully unfolded pleats 116 can be used to further break up small lumps, thereby reducing the possibility of lumps appearing in the solution and improving the mixing quality and efficiency.

[0109] In each of the drawings of the present invention, although the entire process of the method for dissolving the dry powder present in the container is not shown, the change in the wrinkles of the container throughout the process can be understood. In addition, the method and system of the present invention can be applied to the experimental operation processes in industries such as food, biology, medicine, and chemical engineering, and can also be adjusted according to the requirements of each field.

[0110] The foregoing description has set forth numerous features and advantages, including various alternative embodiments, as well as details of the structure and function of the apparatus and method. The intention herein is illustrative and not exhaustive or restrictive.

[0111] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the full scope indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms expressed by the appended claims, particularly in terms of structure, materials, elements, components, shape, size, and arrangement of the components, including combinations within the scope of the principles described herein in these respects. To the extent that these various modifications do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims, it is intended that they also be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A method for dissolving dry powder present in a container, characterized in that, the side wall of the container (110) includes a plurality of folds (116) distributed along its height, each fold (116) being composed of two adjacent folding parts (116a, 116b), and the plurality of folds (116) are in a folded state. In the folded state, at least part of the corresponding inner walls of the folding parts of the plurality of folds (116) are in contact with each other. Wherein, the method includes: Vibration step: continuously vibrate the container (110); Liquid injection step: inject liquid into the container (110) to mix the liquid with the dry powder therein to dissolve the dry powder. Wherein, at least a part of the folding parts of at least a part of the plurality of folds (116) move away from the corresponding other folding part, so that at least a part of the plurality of folds (116) unfold from the folded state; First stop step: stop the liquid injection step; Second stop step: stop the vibration step; Wherein, the liquid injection step is started after or simultaneously with the execution of the vibration step, and the second stop step is executed after the execution of the first stop step.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the method includes: when the liquid injection step is executed so that the volume of the liquid injected into the container (110) reaches one-half to three-fourths of the volume when the container (110) is fully unfolded, execute the first stop step.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the method includes: execute the first stop step after a first time period of executing the liquid injection step, and execute the second stop step after a second time period of executing the first stop step, wherein the second time period is one to three times the first time period.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the vibration step includes: vibrating the container (110) up and down at a vibration frequency of 11 - 15 Hz.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of folds (116) respectively extend circumferentially around the entire circumference of the container (110).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, the plurality of folds (116) are uniformly distributed along the height of the side wall of the container (110).

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, each folding part of the plurality of folds (116) has a width of about 30 mm.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, the container (110) is cylindrical, and its side wall is only composed of the plurality of folds (116), and the plurality of folds (116) extend substantially parallel to each other.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the first stop step is executed, the included angle between the folding parts of at least one-third of the folds (116) located at the upper part of the side wall of the container (110) is less than 10°.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fold (116) is made of high density polyethylene.

11. A system for dissolving dry powder, characterized in that the system (100) comprises: a container (110) storing the dry powder, the container (110) comprising: a side wall including a plurality of folds (116) distributed along its height, each fold (116) being constituted by two adjacent folding parts (116a, 116b), the plurality of folds (116) being in a folded state, in which state, the corresponding inner walls of the folding parts of the plurality of folds (116) are at least partially in contact with each other, wherein, when liquid is injected into the container (110), at least some of the folds (116) of the plurality of folds (116) move away from their corresponding other folding parts so that at least some of the folds (116) unfold from the folded state; a liquid injection port (112) through which the liquid can be injected into the container (110) to be mixed with the dry powder therein so as to dissolve the dry powder; a vibration device mounted at the bottom of the container (110) for continuously vibrating the container (110); a control device configured to activate the vibration device before or simultaneously with the injection of liquid into the container (110) and to deactivate the vibration device after stopping the injection of liquid into the container (110).

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the container (110) comprises a top surface, and the liquid injection port (112) is provided at the top surface.

13. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the system (100) further comprises: a filter (130) mounted on a pipeline fluidly connected to the liquid injection port (112) for filtering the liquid injected into the container (110).

14. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the system (100) further comprises: a switching valve (140) configured to be selectively in fluid communication with the liquid injection port (112); wherein the control device is configured to control the switching valve (140) to vary between a first position allowing liquid to flow into the liquid injection port (112) and a second position blocking liquid from flowing into the liquid injection port (112).

15. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the plurality of folds (116) respectively extend circumferentially around the entire circumference of the container (110).

16. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that the plurality of folds (116) are evenly distributed along the height of the side wall of the container (110).

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