Bag cartridge for a fill / finish system

Abstract

A device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable; and means for deploying the flexible tubing of a consumable contained in the housing, wherein said deploying means is configured to facilitate movement of the tubing between a stored configuration and a deployed configuration, such that, when in the deployed configuration, an end portion of the tubing extends outside the housing so that it can be engaged by a robotic device.

Description

[0001] BAG CARTRIDGE FOR A FILL / FINISH SYSTEM

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present disclosure relates to automated bioprocessing systems, such as bioprocessing systems for performing cell therapy. More specifically, the disclosure relates to bag cartridges suitable for use with a fill I finish system in a bioprocessing system, which is preferably an automated system.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Bioprocessing plays a crucial role in many industries including pharmaceuticals, foods, biofuels and other major sectors. It is no wonder that bioprocessing technologies, including bioprocessing systems, are increasingly relied upon as the bioprocessing industry continues to grow.

[0006] For example, bioprocessing is used for autologous cell therapies. Autologous cell therapies are a promising class of therapy, which have significant clinical and commercial potential ranging from treating cancer to fixing genetic defects. These therapies involve taking cells from a patient, manipulating the cells over the course of days to weeks, and re-introducing the cells back into that patient’s body to produce a therapeutic effect. The steps taken during autologous cell therapies are often complex; for example, a typical CAR-T process may involve a sequence of steps starting with a cryopreserved leukopak, thawing, washing to remove DMSO, enrichment of T cells, activation, transduction, expansion, concentration, formulation fill I finish into an IV bag, and cryopreservation, with several other intermediate washing steps.

[0007] Due to the complexity of bioprocessing, there is a desire to automate the process while maintaining a closed system that removes the need to perform the steps in such a high-grade cleanroom. A closed system is one where there is no exposure of the process to the surrounding environment such that there can be no ingress of contaminants from the environment or cross contamination from other processes that are being performed simultaneously. There are systems (such as the bioprocessing system disclosed in WO 2023 / 281257)tthat provide an automated solution in which a consumable can be fluidly connected to various processing stations in the system via a tube (or tubing) that is fluidly connected to the consumable.

[0008] The term “consumable” may be used to describe any container, such as an IV bag, containing a sample such as a fluid. The fluid may contain one or more of: cellular samples, reagents, cryoprotectants or any other various fluids. However, these consumables are complex to manufacture and install and are consequently relatively expensive, and potentially unreliable. Each consumable needs to be individually tailored to the process being performed, making the system inflexible to modifications and expensive to adapt to new processes. Indeed, a challenge to automate such systems is how to provide a system flexible to modifications that is also able to provide a reliable connection between the consumable and other fluid containers, whilst maintaining a sterile, closed system.

[0009] Tube welding may be used to form fluid connections between tubes that fluidly- connect to respective containers (i.e. “consumables”). Sterile tube welders can allow sterile fluid connections to be made between two tubes with closed ends without exposing the contents of either tube to the environment, and are the only widely accepted means of reusably creating connections within a single system. Tube welding requires precise manipulation to insert the tubes into the welder correctly, and furthermore typically requires removal of an end portion of each portion of tube to be joined together, which gradually reduces the length of a tube that is fluidly-connected to a consumable (bag) when multiple fluid connections and disconnections are required.

[0010] Further challenges arise in automated systems because the tubes (or tubing) that are fluidly-connected to the consumable (e.g. bag) are typically flexible and therefore free-moving when unfixed or unsupported, making it difficult, e.g. for a robotic device in an automated bioprocessing system, to locate the tube and its free end for insertion into the welder. Furthermore, as repeated connections and disconnections of tube welds gradually reduce the length of a tube, it is desirable for such consumables to have excess (“long”) lengths of tubing attached. However, excess tubing in a system can increases the risk of entanglement and / or interfering with other components in the system. The development of bioprocessing systems that utilise automated tube welding may be inhibited due to these substantial complexities, and the strict requirements for reliability when applied to a bioprocessing system. Furthermore, for autologous cell therapies and alike, it can be particularly difficult to incorporate the use of consumable bags into an automated bioprocessing system due to their limp, flexible nature and their varying stiffness, which changes based on the volume of fluid held within the consumable bag. Such characteristics may make it difficult for an automated system to hold and accurately locate the consumable bag or its fluidly-connected tubing during processing.

[0011] An example of a challenge faced when automating a bioprocessing method is the final “fill I finish” stage whereby a cell product is mixed with a cryoprotectant and supplied to a large number of “output consumables” before being cryopreserved for storage and transport. Once the cell product is mixed with the cryoprotectant, there is only a short period (about one hour) in which the output consumables must be cryopreserved before the cryoprotectant damages the cells. Due at least in part to the aforementioned difficulties with handling and connection of tubes while maintaining a closed system, existing systems typically pre-connect the output consumables to a mixing chamber. However, this may limit the number of output consumables to about ten, may be space inefficient, and is inflexible to scaling or modification of the process.

[0012] The “bag cartridges” disclosed herein may be considered to be “cartridges” having a housing configured for containing I housing consumables in the form of fluidcontaining “bags”, wherein each bag may have a length of flexible tubing fluidly connected thereto through which fluid can be removed from the bag, and preferably an excess length of tubing to facilitate multiple fluid connections and disconnections.

[0013] For the reasons stated above, there is a need for a bag cartridge that ameliorates one or more of the above-mentioned problems that may be encountered when incorporating consumables held in bags in automated systems, including the handling of their flexible tubing, which can facilitate the handling and processing of consumables and their contents reliably and efficiently while maintaining a closed environment.

[0014] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0015] According to a first aspect disclosed herein there is provided a device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable; and means for deploying the flexible tubing of a consumable contained in the housing, wherein said deploying means is configured to facilitate movement of the tubing between a stored configuration and a deployed configuration, (e.g., such that, when in the deployed configuration, an end portion of the tubing can be engaged by a robotic device).

[0016] During welding, portions of the flexible tubing are lost as part of the process, resulting in an overall reduction in the length of the tubing. Therefore, in instances where the tubing undergoes a number of welding processes it is advantageous to have access to excess flexible tubing. However, excess tubing may lead to interference and obstructions when operating the system as a whole, such that it is advantageous to provide a means for deploying the flexible tubing between a stored and deployed configuration, relative to the housing, to avoid interference with other components in the system when the tubing is not required.

[0017] The stored configuration may refer to the flexible tubing being stored in the housing or in a separate compartment, preferably in a compact manner. In a stored configuration, the flexible tube may be wound into one or more loops in order to prevent tangling of the tubing or damage to the tubing. The loop may be wound around one or more rollers.

[0018] The term deployed configuration may refer to the tube being released from its stored configuration. In some examples moving between a stored to deployed configuration involves uncoiling, unwinding, unfolding or unrolling the tubing such that an end portion of the tubing can be engaged by a robotic device. For example, the tubing may be compressed within the housing for compact storage, such as being coiled, folded (e.g., in a zig-zag or concertina arrangement) within the housing. Preferably, the end portion extends outside of the housing (e.g., through an opening) to provide ease of access by the robotic device. It will be appreciated that the end portion of the tubing may extend outside the housing in the stored configuration as well as the deployed configuration, provided that the tubing extends further outside the housing when in the deployed configuration. The end portion of the tubing may be engaged by a robotic device in the stored configuration and the pulled out of the device to move it to the deployed configuration, such as for further engagement and manipulation (e.g., by a tube welding device).

[0019] Preferably, the deploying means facilitates unspooling of the tubing out of the device. The deploying means may facilitate movement of the tubing along the axis of the tubing. The movement of the tubing may be sliding or translation of the tubing. The deploying means may control a length of tubing that is deployed, such as being operable to deploy a plurality of different lengths of tubing from the device. The deploying means may include an opening through which the tube may slide when moving from the stored configuration to the deployed configuration. The tube may be deployed in a linear direction out of the opening. The housing may comprise an opening through which the tube extends, and the deploying means may facilitate continuous movement of the tube out of the opening. For example, a robotic device may engage the end of the tubing and pull a desired length from the device (e.g., to enable an external connection to be made to the end of the tubing).

[0020] Preferably, the deploying means is configured to facilitate repeatable movement of the tubing between the stored configuration and the deployed configuration. However, the deploying means may be configured to facilitate only a single movement of the tubing to the deployed configuration, such as where a process simply requires a consumable to be fully emptied into another, and (optionally) the deployed tube then sealed off by the robotic device before moving the empty consumable to a waste stream.

[0021] In some examples, the deploying means may comprise a gripping member configured to engage with and inhibit movement of the tubing. In this way, the gripping member prevents the tubing from exhibiting undesired movement thereby reducing the risk of the tube tangling or obstructing other parts of a system. This improves the control that the device has over the location of the tubing, which is advantageous in automated systems involving tubing. Preferably, the gripping member inhibits motion of the tube when it is not being engaged by a robotic device.

[0022] In some examples, the gripping member may comprise a friction grip. In this way, the flexible tube is prevented from undesired deployment, for example, under gravity. Further, unintentional movement of the flexible tubing is prevented as the gripping member holds the tubing in place. A friction or passive grip provides a mechanism for securing the flexible tube in place without requiring active force or energy. In some examples, the friction grip secures the flexible tube in place through the frictional forces generated between the friction grip and the flexible tube. In some examples, the friction grip comprises a friction-enhanced inner surface.

[0023] In some examples, the friction grip may comprise a tube clip into which the tubing can be removably received.

[0024] In this way, the flexible tubing is held securely in place to prevent undesired movement of the tubing. Advantageously, the tubing is removably received by the tube clip such that the tubing can be removed to undergo a specific process such as welding and can be placed back in the tube clip when the process is finished.

[0025] In some examples, the deploying means may comprise a retractable spooling element (e.g., arranged in or on the housing) configured to engage with the tubing, preferably wherein the device (e.g., the frame, the housing or a tubing compartment) further comprises an elongate slot within which the spooling element is movably mounted.

[0026] In this way, the retractable spooling element aids in controlling and managing the deployment of the flexible tube. For example, once the end of the tubing is engaged by a robotic device, and excess tubing is pulled from the device, the retractable spooling element pulls the tubing back into the device when released by the robotic device. The elongated slot guides movement of the spooling element by restricting the pathway in which the spooling element can move within, so as to provide further controlled deployment of the flexible tube.

[0027] However, it will be appreciated that the deploying means does not necessarily include a retractable spooling element. For example, the deploying means can simply include a tubing compartment (within which excess tubing is stored), and a gripping member. In this configuration, a robotic device may engage an end of the tube and pull it out of the device (overcoming the retaining force of the gripping member) in order to deploy a desired length of tubing from the device. This configuration is advantageous where there is no need to automatically retract tubing into the device (i.e., where the tube only needs to be deployed in one direction).

[0028] In some examples, the spooling element may be configured to be engaged with, and moved relative to the housing by, a robotic device.

[0029] In some examples, the term “move” may refer to linear motion of the spooling element such that the direction of linear motion determines if the tubing is retracted or deployed. The linear motion of the spooling element may be guided by the elongated slot to which it is moveably mounted to. In some examples, the term “move” may refer to rotatory motion of the spooling element, such that rotatory motion causes the flexible tube to be deployed or retracted depending on the direction of rotation. In some examples the spooling element exhibits both rotatory and linear motion.

[0030] In some examples, the spooling element may comprise a groove configured to provide a guide for the tubing to run along.

[0031] In this way, the flexible tubing can maintain contact with the spooling element with a reduced risk of the flexible tubing departing from said element. Preferably the spooling element is a roller having a groove along its circumference and more preferably the spooling element is a geared roller having teeth along its circumference. In this way, the flexible tube can engage with the teeth of the geared roller so as to aid with guiding and positioning the flexible tubing. In some examples, the deploying means may comprise a resilient biasing means configured to engage with the tubing, and to bias the tubing towards the stored configuration. A resilient biasing means refers to an element configured to provide a biasing force.

[0032] In some examples, the resilient biasing means comprises a spring element having a first end that is fixedly mounted relative to the consumable (relative to the housing) and a second end that comprises a tube guide configured to engage with the tubing.

[0033] The tube guide may be provided by the spooling element. Specifically, the resilient biasing means may comprise a spring element having a first end is fixedly mounted (e.g. to the housing) relative to a location of the consumable. Such an arrangement allows for a consistent force to be applied to the tubing during the deployment process making the process predictable, which is advantageous in an automated system.

[0034] In some examples, the deploying means comprises at least one drivable roller, for example a roller that can be rotatably driven by an electric motor.

[0035] Preferably, at least a portion of the flexible tubing is wrapped around the at least one drivable roller such that as the drivable roller rotates in a first direction, it exerts a pulling force on the flexible tubing causing the flexible tubing to unwind and be deployed. Additionally, the drivable roller may be configured to retract the tubing into the cartridge as the drivable roller rotates in a second direction.

[0036] The housing may comprise a frame having one or more engagement and / or alignment components (e.g., on an external surface thereof). As used herein, the term “alignment feature” may be used herein to refer to an “alignment component” and vice versa.

[0037] The frame may comprise: a front panel comprising at least one of the engagement components; a top panel extending from an upper end of the front panel (e.g., perpendicular to the front panel), the top panel comprising a retainer for suspending the consumable; and a bottom panel extending from a lower end of the front panel (e.g., perpendicular to the front panel and parallel to the top panel), the bottom panel configured to support a tubing compartment on an upper surface thereof. The bottom panel may contain at least one of the alignment components on a lower surface thereof.

[0038] The device may further comprise at least two side panels extending from the front panels (e.g., at left and right sides, so that the side panels extend in the same direction as the top and bottom panels), the side panels arranged to support the consumable when it is suspended from the top panel. The side panels may connect to the front panel about halfway up the front panel (to provide a frame that is substantially E-shaped). Preferably the side panels only partially cover the consumable, thereby enabling the consumable to be identified without being obstructed by the side panels (e.g., with an identification mark such as a barcode or QR code). The frame is thus substantially open on its sides. Preferably the frame does not have a back panel.

[0039] The engagement components may include a handle for manipulation by a human operator. The engagement components may include a pickup component for manipulation by a robotic device. The alignment components may include guides and / or grooves that enable the device to be inserted into or placed upon a separate apparatus having corresponding alignment components. In this way, the device is securely retained in a consistent position, thereby facilitating consistent engagement with a robotic device (e.g., via the one or more engagement components).

[0040] The frame may comprise an opening through which the end portion of the tubing extends, preferably wherein the engagement and / or alignment components are located a predetermined distance from the opening. The opening is preferably provided on the front panel of the frame, and more preferably at a lower end of the front panel.

[0041] Advantageously, this means that when the device is installed in another apparatus, the end portion of the tubing can always be engaged at a fixed position relative to the frame, and relative to the apparatus. By contrast, if the end portion of the tube needed to be engaged at a different location on the frame (e.g., at a height that is dependent upon the size of the consumable), then it may be more difficult to automate engagement of the end portion with a robotic device.

[0042] More preferably, at least one of the alignment components is provided on a base of the frame, and the opening is adjacent to the base (e.g., at a bottom end of the front panel). This means that larger frame sizes may be used to house larger consumables while still having the opening at a predetermined position relative to the base.

[0043] The device may further comprise a tubing compartment configured to retain a length of tubing in the stored configuration.

[0044] The tubing compartment may be separable to the frame (e.g., releasably attachable), thereby enabling the consumable and tubing to be removed from the frame (e.g., together with the tubing compartment). In this instance, the device may be referred to as an assembly (i.e. , formed from the combination of the frame, and the tubing compartment).

[0045] Advantageously, the tubing compartment, together with the consumable and tubing can be a disposable / replaceable component, and the frame may a reusable component. Since the two can be easily separated and assembled, different consumables can be interchangeably attached to a common frame, thereby enabling different bioprocessing operations to be performed without the robotic device needing to account for differing shapes and sizes of the consumable. Furthermore, the frame may be manufactured in a way that makes it easy to clean (e.g., smooth surfaces that can be easily accessed by a cleaning device). Preferably the frame is made of metal.

[0046] The frame may be referred to as a first (reusable) portion of the device. The tubing compartment, (optionally together with the consumable and tubing) may be referred to as a second (disposable) portion of the device. It will be appreciated that the consumable and tubing may still be removable from the tubing compartment; however, these components may be preconnected and sold as a single unit to facilitate easy installation into the frame by a user. The means for deploying the flexible tubing may be provided by the tubing compartment. Alternatively or additionally, the deploying means may be provided (at least partially) on the frame.

[0047] Also disclosed herein is a system comprising a plurality of the devices as described above and herein, where each of the devices comprises: one or more alignment components to facilitate mounting upon an apparatus, and an opening through which a corresponding end portion of tubing extends; wherein the opening and alignment components are arranged such that the opening is located at the same position relative to the apparatus for each of the plurality of devices.

[0048] Also disclosed herein is a kit comprising: a reusable frame comprising one or more engagement and / or alignment components on an external surface thereof; and a plurality of tubing compartments having common connection components to enable any of them to be mounted in the frame, each tube compartment configured to retain a tube connected to a corresponding consumable. Preferably, each consumable has a different size and / or volume. The frame is dimensioned so that any of the consumables togetherwith the corresponding tube compartment can be held within the frame (i.e., even when they have different sizes to each other).

[0049] Also disclosed herein is a device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing having a first compartment for holding the consumable (e.g., a consumable compartment) and a second compartment configured to retain the flexible the tube (e.g., a tubing compartment), wherein the second compartment comprises an opening out of which a free end of the flexible tube is configured to extend, and wherein the second compartment is arranged to support an intermediate (e.g., excess) length of the flexible tube in a (e.g., continuous) plurality of positions during motion of the free end of the tube out of the opening. In this way, the flexible tube can unspool from the second compartment while remaining supported to avoid tangling. The second compartment may constrain movement of the flexible tube to within a substantially 2-dimensional plane; this prevents the tube from becoming entangled with itself and ensures that it moves to predictable positions as the free end of the tube is pulled out of the opening. Alternatively, the flexible tube can uncoil, unfold or unwind from the second compartment.

[0050] According to a second aspect disclosed herein there is provided a device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable; and means for detecting the presence of fluid, wherein said detecting means is configured to detect the presence of fluid in said housing, whereby to indicate that a consumable housing is leaking.

[0051] Since the consumable is held in a housing it may be difficult to detect the presence of a leak in the consumable. In this way, by providing a means for detecting the presence of fluid, a leak in the consumable can be detected and indicated at an early stage thereby preventing damage to equipment, contamination and / or loss of product.

[0052] In some examples, the housing may include a base portion arranged to collect fluid leaked from the consumable.

[0053] In some examples, the housing may be configured such that the consumable is positioned above the base portion.

[0054] Fluid from a leak will typically flow to the base portion of the housing due to gravitational forces such that it is advantageous that the base portion be arranged to collect the fluid.

[0055] In some examples, the base portion may be configured to have a fluid collection reservoir, preferably which is arranged to be lower than the remaining base portion.

[0056] Fluid typically flows to the lowest point of a housing due to gravity such that it is advantageous to have a fluid collection reservoir arranged lower than the base portion.

[0057] In some examples, said detecting means may comprise one or more sensors configured to monitor humidity within the housing. A leak will increase the humidity in the housing, therefore, by monitoring the humidity in the housing, the presence of fluid can be detected, and a leak can be identified.

[0058] In some examples, said housing may comprise an air inlet, an air outlet and an air pathway extending therebetween, said air pathway arranged to pass underneath the consumable; and wherein said detecting means comprises one or more sensors configured to monitor the pressure of air exiting the housing via the air outlet.

[0059] When a leak is present in the consumable, fluid will flow into the air pathway arranged to pass underneath the consumable, reducing the size (e.g., cross sectional area) of the air pathway. Therefore, by monitoring the pressure in the air exiting the housing, a change in pressure (e.g. an increase or decrease in pressure) can indicate a leak is present in the consumable.

[0060] According to a third aspect disclosed herein there is provided a device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable, the housing having an outer frame including an upper member and two side members that extend downward at opposing ends of the upper member; and a resilient biasing means provided on one of said side members, wherein, upon being moved into contact with a surface, said biasing means biases against the surface whereby to urge the housing away from the surface.

[0061] The surface into which the biasing means may be moved into contact may be a surface of a receptacle (or “slot”) for the housing, for example a receptacle at a processing station of a bioprocessing system. The side members may extend from front and back sides of the upper member.

[0062] In this way, the device is prevented from (or can compensate for) over-travel beyond an intended position wherein the alignment features can engage. This allows for controlled and precise positioning of the device, which is advantageous in an automated system, especially in instances when the device is required to be in an exact or almost exact location for interaction with a robotic device. By providing the above-mentioned device, the precision in the depth direction is enhanced, thereby addressing this challenge and improving overall positioning accuracy.

[0063] Preferably, the biasing means comprises a resiliently deformable element, which may comprise a sprung element, for example.

[0064] Preferably, the element comprises an elongate finger attached at a first end thereof to said side member, said finger having a second free end that is spaced from said side member that enables the finger to be resiliently deformed.

[0065] The upper member may comprise at least one alignment feature configured to auto-locate the housing by engaging with a corresponding alignment feature located in a receptacle for the device so as to auto-locate the housing into a predetermined position. The upper member may comprise a flange portion extending at least partially outward from the upper member, where said alignment feature is provided on said flange portion. The flange portion may extend outward to contact sides of the receptacle, and therefore may provide a “width guide” for the device. The alignment feature on the upper member may comprise a ramped depression configured to be received into an aperture whereby to inhibit further movement of the housing, preferably wherein the ramped depression is substantially “V”-shaped. Of course, this is just one example of a protruding portion (or a “protrusion”) that can be received into a corresponding aperture to perform the desired function of an alignment feature.

[0066] According to a fourth aspect disclosed herein there is provided a device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable; and at least one pickup feature provided on an external surface of the housing for engagement by a robotic device, wherein said pickup feature is configured to ensure engagement of the housing by a robotic device when in a desired orientation, such that said housing will be in said desired configuration during repeated engagements of said housing by said robotic device. In some examples, the pickup feature is located on a side of the housing. In some examples, the pickup feature comprises a substantially flat pickup element having an inverted (substantially) triangular portion arranged to be engaged by engagement elements on a robotic device, for example at least three engagement elements arranged in an inverted triangular configuration.

[0067] The pickup element may comprise at least three surfaces which facilitate engagement at three locations and may therefore be described as a “three-point pickup”. The pickup element may comprise opposing sides that are substantially parallel towards a lower surface of the pickup element. In some examples, the sides of pickup feature taper outwardly above the second and third points into a substantially triangular shape.

[0068] In this way, ease of access is provided when sliding the pickup feature into, for example, the three engagement elements on the robotic device.

[0069] A three-point pickup provides both balance and stability when aligning the device (or housing) with the robotic device. In this way, it ensures that the components are accurately aligned.

[0070] In some examples, a notch, groove or slot (or similar feature) extends inwardly from a lower surface of the pickup feature for engaging a corresponding engagement element (e.g. a protrusion) on a robotic device.

[0071] This further provides balance and stability when aligning the device with the robotic device. In this way, it ensures that the components are accurately aligned.

[0072] As generally described herein, a device for holding a fluid-containing consumable, typically having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, may also be referred to as a “bag cartridge” (i.e. with the consumable thereby referred to as a “bag”). As used herein, the term “housing” (of said device) may connote an enclosure inside which the consumable is contained, or may simply form a frame that surrounds (at least in part) the consumable, for example forming a hanger from which the consumable can be supported or suspended, or to which the consumable is otherwise attached. It will be understood by a skilled person that any apparatus feature described herein may be provided as a method feature, and vice versa. It will also be understood that particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects described herein can be implemented and / or supplied and / or used independently.

[0073] Moreover, it will be understood that the present invention is described herein purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, as used herein, and “means plus function” features may be expressed alternatively in terms of their corresponding structure.

[0074] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0075] One or more embodiments will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0076] Figure 1a schematically illustrates a first embodiment of a bag cartridge according to the first aspect, with Figure 1 b schematically illustrating an exploded view of said bag cartridge;

[0077] Figures 2a, 2b and 2c schematically illustrate a second embodiment of a bag cartridge according the first aspect;

[0078] Figures 3a, 3b and 3c schematically illustrate a bag cartridge according to the second aspect;

[0079] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a bag cartridge according to the third aspect;

[0080] Figures 5a and 5b schematically illustrate a bag cartridge according to the fourth aspect;

[0081] Figures 6a to 6d show another example of a bag cartridge;

[0082] Figure 7 shows how a bag cartridge may be mounted on an external apparatus using alignment components; and

[0083] Figures 8a to 8c show another example of a bag cartridge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] Figures 1a and 1 b show a device 100 for holding a fluid-containing consumable according to a first aspect. The device 100 is configured to hold a consumable (not shown) in the form of a fluid-containing bag having at least one flexible tube fluidly-connected thereto. The device 100 comprises a housing 120 configured to contain the consumable.

[0085] The housing 120 shown comprises a first portion 120a and a second portion 120b configured to be joined together, and once joined together define an internal cavity 122 shaped to receive the consumable therein. In addition, the housing 120 may further comprise means for supporting or attaching a consumable, such as a hook or clamp (not shown), located at an upper end of the housing 120.

[0086] Considering that an end-portion of the flexible tubing 155 is removed during each tube-welding process, having a surplus of tubing 155 stored in or proximal to the housing 120 is advantageous to allow for repeated welding processes to be carried out on the tubing 155. In this way, it is useful for the housing 120 to provide a tubing compartment 125 configured for storing excess tubing 155. The excess tubing 155 can be contained or stored in a compact manner, for example it may be wound into one or more loops when stored in the tubing compartment 125 of the housing 120.

[0087] A skilled person will appreciate that the tubing compartment 125 may simply be a portion of the housing 120 wherein the excess tubing 155 is contained. As such, the housing 120 may also comprise a hole, slot or groove allowing an end portion of the flexible tubing 155a to pass out of the housing, so as to facilitate engagement by a robotic device. As described later, this hole, slot or groove may be provided with a gripping member 163. The free end portion 155a of the flexible tubing 155 outside of the housing 120 can have any suitable length, for example the free end portion 155a may comprise one inch of the flexible tubing 155. It is advantageous to have a relatively short free end portion 155a to prevent interference of the free end portion 155a with the operations in the remainder of the bioprocessing system. The device 100 further comprises a means for deploying the flexible tubing 155 contained in the housing 120. Since the tubing 155 may be susceptible to undesired movement (e.g., unwanted deployment under the force of gravity), the deploying means further comprises a gripping member 163. The gripping member 163 is configured to engage with and inhibit movement of the tubing 155, thereby minimising the undesired movement or deployment of the flexible tubing 155. The gripping member 163 may be located on, within or proximal to the housing 120. In this example, the gripping member 163 is arranged to secure a free end portion 155a of the flexible tubing 155. In some examples, the gripping member 163 can be a passive grip, such as a friction grip. The gripping member 163 is configured to provide a secure hold on the flexible tubing 155 by for example providing pressure to the tubing 155. In other examples, the deploying means may comprise a drivable roller, such as a roller that can be rotatably driven by an electric motor. In this way, by rotation of the roller, the tube may be deployed from or retracted into the device, depending on the rotation direction.

[0088] The device 100 shown in Figure 1a shows the deployment means comprising a retractable spooling element 161 arranged on the housing 120. Specifically, the spooling element 161 is a roller having a groove 161-1 along its circumference so as to provide a guide for the tubing 155 to run along. The housing 120 further comprises an elongate slot 162 within which the spooling element 161 is movably mounted. In this example, the slot 162 is provided on the first portion 120a of the housing 120. In this way, the elongated slot 162 guides movement of the spooling element 161 by restricting the pathway in which the spooling element 161 can move within. Specifically, the elongated slot 162 shown in Figures 1 a and 1 b is configured to facilitate linear movement of the spooling element 161. The slot 162 has a first end 162a that is proximal the gripping member 163 and a second end 162b that is distal to the gripping member 163. The spooling element 161 may have a first part 161a comprising the groove 161-1 and a second part 161 b that is attached to the first part 161a through the slot 162; this keeps the spooling element 161 attached to the slot 162 while still allowing for movement of the spooling element 161 through the slot 162. In this example, the tubing 155 is arranged in the housing 120 to form two loops. A first loop 155-1 is contained in the tubing compartment 125 of the housing 120, the first loop 155-1 may optionally be formed around a pulley (not shown) so as to guide this portion of the “excess” tubing 155. A second loop 155-2 passes over the spooling element 161 , with the free end 155a of the tubing 155 located following the second loop 155-2. The loops may be configured such that when a pulling force is applied to the free end 155a portion of the tubing 155 (by a robotic device), the loops uncoil or unwind so as to deploy the free end portion 155a from the device 100.

[0089] When the tubing 155 is subjected to a pulling force, the spooling element 161 moves towards the first end 162a of the slot 162 from the second end 162b of the slot 162, since this motion shortens the amount of tubing in the second loop 155-2. This allows the tubing 155 to be deployed from the device 100 (the “deployed configuration”). In this example, the spooling element 161 moves downwards in the slot 162 relative to the housing 120 when the tubing 155 is subjected to a pulling force. As mentioned above, the slot 162 facilitates linear motion of the spooling element 161.

[0090] To retract the tubing 155, the spooling element 161 may be moved by a robotic device (not shown), and may therefore be configured to be engaged by the robotic device. As such, the robotic device may move the spooling element 161 upwards relative to the housing 120, (i.e., moving the spooling element 161 towards the second end 162b of the slot 162); this pulls the tubing 155 back into the second loop 155-2 thereby retracting the tubing 155 into the device 100 (the “stored configuration”). The robotic device may be controlled to ensure a free end portion 155a of the tubing 155 remains outside of the housing 120 when the spooling element 161 is retracted, for example to allow subsequent engagement of the tube 155.

[0091] In other examples, the spooling element 161 may further comprise a resilient biasing means 164 configured to engage with the spooling element 161 , and to bias the tubing 155 towards the stored configuration. In this way, when the robotic device can provide a pulling force on the free end portion of the tubing 155a, causing downward movement of the spooling element 161. When the robotic device releases the free end portion 155a of the tubing 155, such that there is no longer a pulling force exerted on the tubing 155, the resilient biasing means 164 will move upwards relative the housing 120, cause the tubing 155 to return to its stored position, with the free end portion 155a at its reduced length. When a slot 162 is present, the resilient biasing means 164 biases the spooling element 161 towards the second end 162b of the slot 162. Preferably, when a friction grip 163 is used for the gripping member 163, the pulling force provided by the resilient biasing means 164 needs to overcome the friction of the grip 163 during deployment, and retraction will be stopped if the restoring force no longer overcomes the frictional forces of the grip 163.

[0092] An example of a resilient biasing means 164 is shown in Figures 2a to 2c. As shown, the resilient biasing means 164 comprises a spring element 164 having a first end 164a that is fixedly mounted to the housing 120 and a second end 164b that is attached to the spooling element 161 . The spooling element 161 preferably corresponds to the spooling element 161 described above and therefore may comprise a roller or pulley to allow for smooth movement of the tube 155, such as within a groove 161-1 of the spooling element 161.

[0093] Figures 2a, 2b and 2c shows the flexible tubing 155 undergoing deployment by moving from a stored configuration (Figure 2a) to a deployed configuration (Figure 2b) and back to a stored configuration (Figure 2c).

[0094] Moving from Figure 2a to Figure 2b, a free end portion 155a of the tubing 155 is being engaged by a robotic device 5. The robotic device 5 may or may not remove the free end portion 155a from the gripping member 163. This action may depend on the specific gripping member 163 used in the system, for example, it is advantageous to not remove the tubing 155 from a friction grip 163. It then applies a pulling force (preferably a linear pulling force) to the free end portion 155a of the tubing 155. In doing this, the resilient biasing means 164 is stretched, thus causing it to store potential energy. The tubing 155 is now in a deployed configuration such that the robotic device 5 is able to manipulate the free end portion 155a of the tubing 155, such as to weld the tube 155 to another flexible tube elsewhere in the bioprocessing system.

[0095] To move between Figure 2b to Figure 2c, the robotic device 5 may release the tubing 155 such that the stored potential energy upon stretching provides a restoring force. This is particularly advantageous in examples where a friction grip 163 is used as the restoring force will overcome the frictional forces provided by the friction grip 163 until a threshold, where the tubing 155 will no longer be retracted, thereby providing a free end portion 155a outside of the friction grip 163. In other examples, the robotic device 5 may place the tubing 155 back into the gripping member 163 if it was removed upon deployment.

[0096] In another embodiment of the present invention, a device 100 for holding a fluidcontaining consumable 150 comprises a housing 120 for the consumable 150 (as already described above) and also includes a means for detecting the presence of fluid that has leaked from the consumable 150.

[0097] In Figure 3a, the means for detecting the presence of fluid is at least one air inlet 171 and an air outlet 173 with an air pathway 172 extending therebetween. In this way, air may be supplied to the air inlet 171 to facilitate air flow through the pathway 172 towards the outlet 173. As shown, the air pathway 172 is configured to pass under the consumable 150. In this way, if fluid 151 is leaking from the consumable 150, the fluid 151 will collect in the pathway 172, as shown in Figure 3b. The collected fluid 151 reduces the size (e.g. cross sectional area) of the air pathway 172 passing under the consumable 150, which restricts the flow of air therethrough. Therefore, by monitoring a pressure of air exiting the housing 120 via the air outlet 173, a change in air pressure can be detected such that a leak from the consumable 150 can be indicated or identified. For example, a drop in pressure between the inlet 171 and the outlet 173 may indicate that the air pathway 172 is substantially blocked by fluid 151 , thereby indicating that a leak has occurred.

[0098] The air pressure is monitored using one or more pressure sensors. Specifically, one pressure sensor may be arranged at each of the air inlet 171 and air outlet 173, when the device 100 is arranged within an external apparatus, such as within a slot of a bioprocessing apparatus. The difference in air pressure can be calculated using a processor configured to receive input data from each of the sensors. Alternatively or additionally, a humidity sensor that configured to monitor humidity within the housing can be included. The humidity sensor may measure a difference in humidity between the air entering the inlet 171 and the air exiting the outlet 173; where fluid has collected in the air pathway 172, an increase in humidity may be observed, thereby indicating a leak.

[0099] The air inlet 171 may also be used to control the temperature of the consumable 150 in the housing 120. Since the air pathway 172 runs adjacent to the consumable 150, heat may be efficiently transferred to / from the consumable 150 simply by adjusting the temperature of the air supplied to the air inlet 171. For example, cold air may be supplied to the air inlet 171 to effectively refrigerate the consumable 150, or alternatively room temperature air may be supplied. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the air inlet 171 , the air pathway 172, and the air outlet 173 are particularly advantageous as they may provide two functions: leak detection, and temperature control (though it will also be appreciated that either of these functions may be provided individually).

[0100] Figure 3c shows an example wherein the housing 120 includes a base portion 174 arranged to collect fluid leaked from the consumable 150. In some examples the base portion 174 provides the air pathway 172. As shown, the housing 120 is configured such that the consumable 150 is positioned above the base portion 174 and is configured to have a collection reservoir 175 within the base portion 174. In this example, a sensor 176 is arranged externally to the housing 120 and adjacent to the collection reservoir 175, and is configured to detect fluid 151 retained in the collection reservoir 175. For example, the sensor 176 may be provided in a slot of a bioprocessing apparatus within which the device 100 is received. The sensor 176 may be any one or more of an optical sensor, a conductivity sensor, a moisture sensor or any other suitable sensor for detecting the presence of fluid in the collection reservoir 175. During use, the device 100 may be inserted into a receptacle 20 of a bioprocessing apparatus. The receptacle 20 may be referred to as a “slot” 20. It is important that when the device 100 is inserted into the slot 20, the device 100 always reaches the same predetermined position within the slot 20. This means that the device 100 may be consistently engaged by a robotic device 5 of the bioprocessing system, simply by moving an end effector of the robotic device 5 to a precisely known repeatable location.

[0101] Figure 4 shows an example of a device 100 inserted into a slot 20. The slot 20 comprises two side walls 21a, 21 b, between which a portion of the device 100 is received. In particular, the housing 120 may have an upper member 120-2 that moves between the side walls 21a, 21 b of the slot 20. From each of these side walls 21a, 21 b of the slot a respective rail 22a, 22b extends inwardly.

[0102] A flange portion may extend at least partially outward from the upper member 120-2. More specifically, the flange portion is provided by a pair of rails 181a, 181 b that extend along the upper member 120-2 of the housing 120. When the device 100 is inserted into the slot 20, the rails 181 may contact the side walls 21a, 21 b of the slot 20; therefore, the rails 181 provide a width guide that centres the device 100 in the slot 20. Furthermore, the rails 181a, 181 b of the housing 120 each rest upon the rail 22a, 22b of the slot 20 when the device 100 is inserted into the slot 20. While this enables the device 100 to be retained at a predetermined height within the slot 20, it may still be possible for the device 100 to not be fully inserted into the slot 20, or to be over inserted, which may make engagement of the device 100 (such as by a robotic device 5) problematic.

[0103] In order to address this, the device 100 shown in Figure 4 has the following features. Firstly, the device 100 further includes at least one resilient biasing element 182 located on a first side 120-1 of the housing 120. The first side 120-1 of the housing 120 may be referred to as a “back” side of the housing 120, and may be provided by a “side member” that extends downward from the upper member 120-2. A further “side member” may extend downward from an opposite end of the upper member 120-2, thereby providing a “front” side 120-3 of the housing 120. The “back” side refers to the side of the housing 120 that is first inserted into the slot 20. The “front” side refers to a side of the housing 120 that may remain accessible when the device 100 is in the slot 20. The resilient biasing element 182 is configured to bias against a (e.g., back) surface 20a of the slot 20 when the housing 120 is inserted too far into the slot 20, whereby urging the housing 120 away from said surface 20a and back towards the predetermined position in the slot 20. In other words, the resilient biasing element 182 will bring the housing 120 back to the desired position if over-travelling occurs.

[0104] In this example, the resilient biasing element 182 comprises at least one finger 182 that is arranged on the first side 120-1 of the housing 120. The finger 182 is attached at a first end to the first side 120-1 of the housing 120, the finger 182 having a second free end that is spaced from the first side 120-1 of the housing 120 that enables the finger 182 to be resiliently deformed. Since this finger 182 is formed from a flexible material, if the device 100 is over-inserted into the slot 22, the finger 182 engages a back surface 22a of the slot 22 causing the finger 182 to bend (thereby storing energy), which provides a restoring force that urges the device 100 back towards the desired predetermined position. Alternatively, the resilient biasing element 182 may be a spring attached to the first side 120-1 of the housing 120. By providing a resilient biasing element 182 that urges the device 100 into a predetermined position in the slot 20, the device 100 may be more consistently engaged, such as by a robotic device 5 in the bioprocessing system. While the first side 120-1 of the housing 120 is described above as being on the back of the housing 120, it will be appreciated that the resilient biasing element 182 may be located elsewhere on the housing 120.

[0105] Secondly, the housing 120 additionally comprises at least one alignment feature 183 located on a second side 120-2 of the housing 120. These alignment features 183 are arranged to engage with corresponding alignment features of the slot 20. As shown in Figure 4, the rails 22a, 22b, comprise at least one notch 23 (only the two notches 23a-1 23a-2 on the first rail 22a are labelled). The notches 23 may also be referred to herein as apertures. The housing 120 comprises auto-location ramps 183 that are arranged to extend downward from each of the rails 181 of the housing 120 at positions that correspond to the notches 23. In other words, the second side 120-2 of the housing 120 may refer to the top of the housing 120 (e.g., the upper member 120-2 from which the rails 181 extend), though it will be appreciated that alignment features may be provided elsewhere on the housing 120.

[0106] In this way, when the device 100 is inserted into the slot 20, the auto-location ramps 183 drop into the corresponding notches 23 thereby urging the device 100 into the predetermined position in the slot 20 (and inhibiting further movement of the housing 120). The auto-location ramps 183 may be referred to as a ramped depression, which is preferably substantially V-shaped.

[0107] In another embodiment of the present invention, a device 100 for holding a fluidcontaining consumable 150 comprises a housing 120 for the consumable 150 (as already described above) and also comprises at least one engagement feature 190 (or “pickup feature” 190) provided on an external surface of the housing 120 for engagement by a robotic device 5. The robotic device 5 may comprise an end effector 6 specifically for engaging the housing 120 of the device 100. As shown in Figure 3a, the engagement feature 190 may be located on a side of the housing 120 (such as a front side that remains accessible when the device 100 is retained in the slot 20).

[0108] As shown in Figure 5a, the engagement feature 190 comprises a substantially triangular element that is preferably substantially flat (which may be referred to as a “pickup element”). The engagement feature 190 comprises a three-point pickup, which is arranged to engage with three corresponding protrusions 6a, 6b, 6c of the end effector 6 of the robotic device 5. The protrusions 6a, 6b, 6c may be referred to as “engagement elements”. In this way, the engagement feature 190 comprises at least three surfaces 191 which provide contact at three locations.

[0109] A first contact point 191a is located on a lower surface of the engagement feature 190 and comprises a notch or groove in a lower surface for engaging a corresponding protrusion 6a of the end effector 6. A second contact point 191 b and a third contact point 191c are arranged on opposing sides of the engagement feature 190, and engage with corresponding protrusions 6b, 6c of the end effector 6 of the robotic device 5. In this way, the contact points 191a, 191 b, 191c form an inverted triangular shape, which corresponds to an inverted triangular shape of the protrusions 6a, 6b, 6c of the end effector 6. While further contact points may be provided, preferably there are exactly three contact points 191 , which is sufficient to define the orientation of the device 100 without the device 100 being able to “wobble” relative to further contact points 191. That is, if further contact points were provided, it is possible that one of the protrusions of the end effector would not make contact with one of the contact points, leading to wobbling and uncertainty in the position of the device 100.

[0110] As shown, the sides of engagement feature 190 are substantially parallel below second contact point 191 b and the third contact point 191c, which provides ease of access when sliding the engagement feature 190 into the three protrusions 6a, 6b, 6c, as is shown in Figures 5a and 5b. The sides of engagement feature 190 taper outwardly above the second and third points 191 b, 191c so as to prevent the engagement feature 190 from sliding out of the end effector 6.

[0111] Figures 6a to 6d show a further embodiment of a device 200. This device 200 comprises a first portion 210 and a second portion 250. Figure 6a shows the device 200 where the first portion 210 and second portion 250 are separated from each other, and Figure 6b shows the device 200 where these portions 210, 250 have been assembled together. As discussed further below, the first portion 210 may be a reusable portion 210, and the second portion 250 may be a disposable portion 250.

[0112] The second portion 250 holds a consumable 150 and a length of tubing 155 connected to the consumable 150. As described later in further detail, the second portion 250 comprises a tubing compartment 260 to organise the excess tubing 155 between the consumable 150 and a free end 155a of the tubing 155.

[0113] The first portion 210 of the device 200 comprises a frame 220. The frame 220 has a front panel 221 , which may include components such as engagement components and / or alignment components. As shown in Figure 6a and 6b, the engagement components include a handle 228 (to enable manual engagement by a human operator) and a pickup feature 229 (to enable automated engagement, as described in relation to Figures 5a and 5b). An opening 226 is provided at a lower end of the front panel 221 . When the device 200 is assembled, a free end portion 155a of the tubing 155 extends out of this opening 226 to enable engagement by a robotic device.

[0114] The frame 220 has at least one side that is open, thereby enabling the second portion 250 to be easily inserted into the frame 220. In this example, the frame 220 does not have a back panel, so that the second portion 250 can slide into place within the first portion 210, as shown by the arrow in Figure 6a. The frame 220 includes a bottom panel 222 to support the tubing compartment 260. The bottom panel 222 extends from a bottom end of the front panel 221 in a perpendicular direction so that the bottom panel 222 is substantially horizontal during use. The bottom panel 222 preferably includes guides or rails to retain the tubing compartment 260 in position on the bottom panel 222. The bottom panel 222 may comprise fasteners or snap connectors to keep the tubing compartment 260 in position. The frame 220 also includes a top panel 223. The top panel 223 extends from a top end of the front panel 221 in a perpendicular direction so that the top panel 223 is substantially horizontal during use. The top panel 223 may include a retainer such as a hook (not shown) to suspend the consumable 150. While not shown in Figure 6, the top panel 223 may include alignment components such as those described in relation to Figure 4. Alternatively, these alignment components may be provided elsewhere on the frame 220, such as on the bottom panel 222. The alignment components allow the device 200 to be located in or on another apparatus, such as within a slot of a bioprocessing apparatus or upon a load cell (as discussed later in relation to Figure 7).

[0115] The frame 220 preferably includes side panels 224 to help retain the disposable portion within the frame 220. Since the consumable 150 is typically provided by a flexible bag, the side panels 224 prevent the bag from bulging excessively, thereby ensuring that the device 200 (and the consumable 150 held therein) occupies a defined volume. The frame 220 is preferably substantially open on its sides. This may allow the consumable 150 to be identified (e.g., using an identification mark such as a barcode or QR code) without substantial obstruction by the side panels 224. As shown in Figure 6b, the side panels 224 partially (but not completely) cover the consumable 150, thereby holding it in place while still enabling the consumable 150 to be identified.

[0116] The second portion 250 of the device 200 includes a tubing compartment 260. The tubing compartment 260 has at least two openings to allow tubing 155 to pass into the tubing compartment 260 at a first location and out of the tubing compartment 260 at a second location. As shown in Figure 6, a first opening 265 is provided on an upper surface of the tubing compartment 260, and a second opening 266 is provided on a lower-front surface of the tubing compartment 260. Thus, the tubing 155 connected to a consumable 150 passes into the first opening 265 and out of the second opening 266. The second opening 266 is arranged to align with the front opening 226 of the frame 220 when the device 200 is assembled, as shown in Figure 6b. The openings 265, 266 may be holes, slots, or any suitable type of opening that enables the tubing 155 to pass into and out of the tubing compartment 260. The second opening 266 of the tubing compartment 260 is preferably provided with a gripping member 263 to inhibit movement of the tubing 155, as previously described.

[0117] The tubing compartment 260 organises tubing 155 between the first opening 265 and second opening 266. To do so, the tubing compartment 260 includes a retractable spooling element 261. As described in relation to Figures 1 and 2, the retractable spooling element 261 is a roller having a groove along its circumference so as to provide a guide for the tubing 155 to run along. The retractable spooling element 261 may be movable within the tubing compartment 260 and may be biased towards a stored configuration.

[0118] Advantageously, by providing a device 200 that is separable into a first portion 210 and a second portion 220, the first portion 210 (containing engagement and alignment components) can be a reusable component and the second portion 250 (holding the consumable 150 and tubing 155) can be a disposable component. Since the two can be easily separated and assembled, a different second portion 250 can be interchangeably attached into a common first portion 210, thereby enabling different bioprocessing operations to be performed within a system without the robotic device needing to account for differing shapes and sizes of consumable 150. In view of the above, the frame 220 can be made from a strong material that can be cleaned and reused multiple times, and which will not deform when manipulated by a robotic device. Preferably, the frame 220 is made of metal. On the other hand, components of the second portion 250 can be manufactured more cheaply as single used components.

[0119] Furthermore, the second portion 250 can be manufactured and distributed separately to the first portion 210 and assembled as required by the user for a particular bioprocessing system. As shown in Figures 6c and 6d, the consumable 150 can be folded to conserve space, attached to a corresponding tubing compartment 260, and individually packaged in bags 290 (e.g., foil bags) for storage and transport. In this way, a user can simply remove the second portion 250 from the bag and install it within a first portion 210, without needing to perform any tube manipulation.

[0120] Bag mounting arrangements for the device 200 will now be discussed further in relation to Figure 7. Figure 7 schematically illustrates three different sizes of consumable 150-1 (labelled “L”), 150-2 (labelled “M”), 150-3 (labelled “S”). Each consumable 150 may be attached to a corresponding second portion 250 (not shown) that may be located within a common first portion 210 (not shown). In this way, different consumables 150 can be used to hold different amounts of fluid, while still being mounted within a common first portion 210.

[0121] The first portion 210 (including the frame 220) comprises alignment components so that it can be placed into or onto another apparatus, such as a slot in a bioprocessing apparatus, or upon a load cell 10 (as shown in Figure 7). In this example, the alignment components are provided on a bottom surface of the frame 220. The alignment components are in the form of pins 202 that extend into corresponding slots 12 on a top surface 11 of the load cell 10. The device 200 has at least two pins 202 to maintain alignment of the device 200 on the load cell 10, and preferably include three pins 202, as shown. The external apparatus may comprise a support structure 15 to stabilise the device 200. Since the tubing 155 connected to each of the consumables 150 will be engaged with a robotic device, it is advantageous for the free end of the tube 155a to be located in a consistent location regardless of the size of the consumable 150.

[0122] To facilitate this, the frame 200 has a front opening 226 (as discussed previously) out of which the free end 150a of the tubing 150 extends. The opening 226 and alignment components are arranged such that the opening 226 is located at the same position relative to the load cell 10 for any size of second portion 220. To achieve this, the alignment components (regardless of the consumable size) may be arranged a predetermined distance from the front opening 226. In this way, the robotic device can engage the end of the tubing at a consistent location relative to the device 200 and relative to the load cell 10.

[0123] A further example of a device 300 will now be described in relation to Figure 8. The device 300 may include several features discussed previously in relation to other embodiments. For example, the device 300 has a housing 320 with a first portion 320a and second portion 320b that are joined together. The device 300 may also include any of the engagement and / or alignment components discussed above, such as a pickup feature 329.

[0124] For some applications, the tubing 155 only needs to be deployed but does not need to be retracted. The device 300 includes a first cavity 322 for holding the consumable 150 (“consumable compartment”) and a second cavity 324 configured to retain the flexible tube 155 (“tubing compartment”). The excess length of flexible tubing 155 is arranged in the second cavity 324 with its free end 155a extending out of an opening 325 in the cavity 324. In this way, the free end 155a may be pulled out of the opening 325 by a robotic device since excess tubing is arranged in the second cavity 324. The opening 325 may have a gripping member (not shown) so that movement of the tubing 155 is inhibited when not being pulled by the robotic device. The tubing 155 is arranged in the second cavity 324 so that it can unspool, unwind or unfold without tangling. The second cavity 324 supports the intermediate length of the tubing 155 in a plurality of positions when the tubing 155 is pulled out of the opening 325. In this example, the second cavity 324 constrains movement of the tubing 155 to within a substantially 2-dimensional plane, which prevents the tubing 155 from tangling with itself during movement. Before the tubing 155 is pulled out of the opening 325, the tubing 155 may follow an outer perimeter of the second cavity 324; as the tubing 155 is pulled out of the opening 325 the tubing 155 comes away from this perimeter to take a more direct path from the consumable 150 to the opening 325. It will be appreciated that the tubing 155 can be arranged within the second cavity 324 in other ways that prevent tangling of the tube. For example, the tubing 155 may be folded, coiled, or otherwise compressed in the second cavity 324.

[0125] Advantageously, no spooling element is required in order to facilitate deployment of the tubing 155 from a stored position to a deployed position. A robotic device simply engages with the protruding end 155a of the tubing 155 and pulls out a required length of tubing 155. The tubing 155 moves continuously when it is pulled out of the opening 325, which allows any required length of tubing 155 to be dispensed, dependent upon a subsequent operation needing to be performed. Once a desired length of tubing 155 is pulled out of the device, it can be further engaged and manipulated by a robotic device, such as to perform further steps within a bioprocessing system (e.g., welding and pumping operations)

[0126] While the foregoing is directed to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that the present invention is described herein purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention. For example, any of the features described in the embodiments above can be combined in any suitable way; in other words, a device for holding a consumable may comprise (in any combination), a means for deploying the flexible tube, a means for detecting the presence of fluid, a resilient biasing element, at least one alignment feature / component, and / or at least one engagement feature / component.

[0127] Furthermore, one skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may not be limited by the embodiments disclosed herein, or to any details shown in the accompanying figures that are not described in detail herein or defined in the claims. Indeed, such superfluous features may be removed from the figures without prejudice to the present invention. Moreover, other and further embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the application, and may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, which is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable; and means for deploying the flexible tubing of a consumable contained in the housing, wherein said deploying means is configured to facilitate movement of the tubing between a stored configuration and a deployed configuration, such that, when in the deployed configuration, an end portion of the tubing extends outside the housing so that it can be engaged by a robotic device.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an opening through which the tube extends, and the deploying means facilitates continuous movement of the tubing out of the opening.

3. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the deploying means is configured to facilitate repeatable movement of the tubing between the stored configuration and the deployed configuration.

4. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the deploying means comprises a gripping member configured to engage with and inhibit movement of the tubing.

5. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the deploying means comprises a retractable spooling element configured to engage with the tubing, preferably wherein the device further comprises an elongate slot within which the spooling element is movably mounted.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the spooling element is configured to engage with and move relative to the housing by a robotic device.

7. The device of claim 5 or 6, wherein the spooling element comprises a groove configured to provide a guide for the tubing to run along.

8. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the deploying means comprises a resilient biasing means configured to engage with the tubing, and to bias the tubing towards the stored configuration.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the resilient biasing means comprises a spring element having a first end that is fixedly mounted relative to the consumable and a second end that comprises a tube guide configured to engage with the tubing.

10. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the deploying means comprises at least one drivable roller, for example a roller that can be rotatably driven by an electric motor.

11. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the housing comprises a frame having one or more engagement and / or alignment components on an external surface thereof.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the frame comprises: a front panel comprising at least one of the engagement components; a top panel extending from an upper end of the front panel, the top panel comprising a retainer for suspending the consumable; and a bottom panel extending from a lower end of the front panel, the bottom panel configured to support a tubing compartment on an upper surface thereof.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising at least two side panels extending from the front panels, the side panels arranged to support the consumable when it is suspended from the top panel.

14. The device of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the frame comprises an opening through which the end portion of the tubing extends, wherein the engagement and / or alignment components are located a predetermined distance from the opening.

15. The device of any of claims 11 to 14, further comprising a tubing compartment configured to retain a length of tubing in the stored configuration.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the tubing compartment is separable from the frame, thereby enabling the consumable and tubing to be removed from the frame.

17. The device of claim 15 or 16, wherein the means for deploying the flexible tubing is provided by the tubing compartment.

18. A device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable; and means for detecting the presence of fluid, wherein said detecting means is configured to detect the presence of fluid in said housing, whereby to indicate that a consumable housing is leaking.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the housing includes a base portion arranged to collect fluid leaked from the consumable.

20. The device of claim 18 or 19, wherein the base portion is configured to have a fluid collection reservoir, preferably which is arranged to be lower than the remaining base portion.

21. The device of any of claims 18 to 20, wherein said detecting means comprises one or more sensors configured to monitor humidity within the housing.

22. The device of claims any of claims 18 to 21 , wherein said housing comprises an air inlet, an air outlet and an air pathway extending therebetween, said air pathway arranged to pass underneath the consumable, preferably wherein said detecting means comprises one or more sensors configured to monitor the pressure of air exiting the housing via the air outlet.

23. A device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising:a housing for the consumable, the housing having an outer frame including an upper member and two side members that extend downward at opposing ends of the upper member; and resilient biasing means provided on one of said side members, wherein, upon being moved into contact with a surface, said biasing means biases against the surface whereby to urge the housing away from the surface.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said biasing means comprises a resiliently deformable element, preferably a sprung element.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the element comprises an elongate finger attached at a first end thereof to said side member, said finger having a second free end that is spaced from said side member that enables the finger to be resiliently deformed.

26. The device of any of claims 23 to 25, wherein the upper member comprises at least one alignment feature configured to auto-locate the housing by engaging with a corresponding alignment feature located in a receptacle for the device so as to auto-locate the housing into a predetermined position.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the upper member comprises a flange portion extending at least partially outward from the upper member, where said alignment feature is provided on said flange portion.

28. The device of claim 26 or 27, wherein the alignment feature on the upper member comprises a ramped depression configured to be received into an aperture whereby to inhibit further movement of the housing, preferably wherein the ramped depression is substantially “V”-shaped.

29. A device for holding a fluid-containing consumable having a flexible tube fluidly connected thereto, the device comprising: a housing for the consumable; and at least one pickup feature provided on an external surface of the housing for engagement by a robotic device,wherein said pickup feature is configured to ensure that engagement of the housing by a robotic device when in a desired orientation, such that said housing will be in said desired configuration during repeated engagements of said housing by said robotic device.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the pickup feature is located on a side of the housing.

31. The device of claim 29 or 30, wherein the pickup feature comprises a substantially flat pickup element having an inverted substantially triangular portion arranged to be engaged by engagement elements on a robotic device, for example engagement elements arranged in an inverted triangular configuration.

32. The device of claim 31 , wherein the pickup engagement element comprises opposing sides that are substantially parallel towards a lower surface of the pickup element.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the lower surface of the pickup element has a notch, groove or slot extending inwardly for receiving an engagement element on a robotic device.

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